Pediatric Transplant Center
Lurie Children’s (formerly Children’s Memorial Hospital) performed its first transplant in 1964 and has remained a leader in transplant surgery and advanced hepatobiliary (related to liver, gallbladder or bile ducts) surgery ever since. We are one of only eleven children’s hospitals nationwide to have performed more than 1,000 solid organ transplants.
Each year, the center performs 50 stem cell transplants and 50 solid organ transplants on average, which is the largest number of pediatric organ transplants at a single center in Illinois. Our highly experienced transplant surgeons also use innovative surgical techniques that spare patients the need for a transplant when possible.
The hospital’s Siragusa Transplantation Center ranks among the top pediatric transplant centers in the country, not just in volume, but in patient survival rates. Each of our transplant programs have high rates of graft (transplant) success and patient survival three years after surgery.
Our Approach
We specialize in family-centered care, which means we provide emotional and social support to the whole family along with the patient.
Our care is also uniquely long-term. The center’s staff provides follow-up care into patients’ teenage years or young adulthood, checking their development to make sure they flourish. A joint program with Northwestern Memorial Hospital, a leader in adult transplantation, lets us offer lifelong follow-up care for transplant recipients. This partnership also lets eligible adult relatives donate certain organs and tissues to children as living donors.
Our transplant program pioneered the use of support services for children receiving a transplant and for their families. We address the medical, behavioral and emotional concerns of children and families through support programs, including:
- ParentWISE™: Links parents who have children with transplants
- PeerWISE™: Links transplanted children with those who have already gone through the process
- A school services program
- A financial coordinator
Nationally-Ranked Care
Lurie Children’s continues to be the #1 children's hospital in Illinois and is ranked in 11 specialties by U.S. News & World Report.
Organ Transplant Programs
The center is home to five outstanding transplant surgery programs for children of all ages and for young adults with childhood diseases. These programs include heart, kidney, liver, intestine and stem cell transplant.
Conditions We Treat
Our pediatric specialists treat children for all conditions that may need a transplant. They include:
- Blood disorders
- Cancer
- Digestive diseases
- Heart conditions and defects
- Immune deficiencies
- Kidney diseases
- Multisystem organ failure
- Metabolic disorders
Transplant Surgical Leadership
Riccardo A. Superina, MD
Division Head, Transplant Surgery; Co-Director, Siragusa Transplantation Center; Surgical Director, Intestinal and Liver Transplant Programs; Robert E. Schneider Chair in Transplantation
Michael C. Mongé, MD
Surgical Director, Heart Failure/Heart Transplant Program; Attending Physician, Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery
Transplant Medical Leadership
Estella M. Alonso, MD
Medical Director, The Siragusa Transplantation Center; Sally Burnett Searle Professorship in Pediatric Transplantation
Valeria C. Cohran, MD
Medical Director, Intestinal Rehabilitation and Transplantation; Attending Physician, Gastroenterology
Priya Verghese, MD, MPH
Division Head, Nephrology (Kidney Diseases); Medical Director, Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program; Isaac A. Abt, MD Professorship in Kidney Diseases
Catherine A. Chapin, MD, MS
Medical Director, Hepatology and Liver Transplant; Program Director, Advanced Transplant Hepatology Fellowship; Attending Physician, Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
Appointments
For more information, please call 312.227.4040.
Traveling from out-of-state? Our Destination Services team is available to help make your experience at Lurie Children's go as smoothly as possible. Learn more.
Transplant Remote Consultations & Second Opinions
Whether you anticipate your child needing an organ transplant in the future, interested in multiple listing for organ transplant, or would like a second opinion on post-transplant care, the transplant remote consultation and second opinion program can help.
Via telemedicine, our transplant providers are available for an initial consultation to review your care, explain our transplant process, and provide second opinions of post transplant care treatment plans before deciding if traveling to Lurie Children’s would be the right choice for you.
Transplant Research
The Siragusa Transplantation Center is a national leader in pediatric transplant research. Our physician-researchers have pioneered influential new methods of studying pediatric diseases and transplantation. Through many clinical and laboratory studies, we are committed to research directly related to improving your child’s health.
Our Location
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
225 E. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60611
312.227.4000
Transplantation News & Stories
Lurie Children’s Transplant Expertise Shines in Record-Breaking Year
Lurie Children’s surpassed a hospital record in its recent fiscal year by performing a record 140 pediatric transplants, including, heart, kidney, liver and stem cell.
Educational Support Helps Carter Thrive After Heart Transplant
Lurie Children's NICU-Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program offers specialized care for children with congenital heart disease who face developmental challenges. Learn more about Carter's story and how he is thriving today.
Sawyer’s Fighting Chance: His Own Father
Newborn baby Sawyer battled a life-threatening liver condition for months until the most perfect donor was found and turned everything around: his own dad.
High-Risk Pediatric Heart Transplants with Drs. Michael Mongé and Philip Thrush
In this episode, Dr. Michael Mongé and Dr. Philip Thrush discuss how their team is uniquely equipped to take on high-risk pediatric heart transplantation patients, who are often turned away at other hospitals.
‘She Never Gave Up:’ Jasy’s Heart Health Scare Turns Remarkable Recovery
As a healthy 10-year-old, Adriana didn’t suspect anything serious when her daughter, Jasy, developed a persistent cough. Learning she was in heart failure and would eventually need a transplant began a journey paved with perseverance and persistence.
Haytham Doing Better Than Ever Following Liver Transplant From Altruistic Donor
Two-year-old Haytham had already overcome many challenges in his young life and needed a liver transplant. One altruistic stranger was a match.
Philanthropy
Your support is vital in helping us fund patient-focused support services and programs. Your gifts to the center also help us train tomorrow’s specialists and conduct vital research to track and improve outcomes.
To learn more, please e-mail the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Foundation at foundation@luriechildrens.org or call 312.227.7500.