Renown Health makes history with first living donor transplant in Nevada
Renown Health
Reno, Nev.
Organ donation, often hailed as “the gift of life”, transforms thousands of lives across the U.S each year. About 6,500 of these lifesaving procedures are living donor transplants, where donors choose to give an organ — typically a kidney — to someone they know, dramatically decreasing wait times. Renown Health in Reno, Nev., one of only 250 transplant centers nationwide, recently reached a historic milestone by successfully performing its first living donor kidney transplant.
The landmark procedure, taking place at the Renown Transplant Institute, was deeply personal. Melania Davis donated her kidney to her daughter Lanie Hope Smith, who was battling end-stage kidney disease caused by severe E. coli infection. Living donor transplants like this most often involve family members and offer major advantages over deceased donor transplants, including shorter wait times, longer lasting organ function and improved overall outcomes.
“Launching with living donor transplants allows us to help patients sooner, achieve the best possible outcomes and build the strong foundation for a successful program. This was truly a team accomplishment. Every member of our surgical, nursing, anesthesia, social work, pharmacy and transplant coordination staff played a critical role,” said Ernesto Molmeti, M.D., executive director of the Renown Transplant Institute and Nevada Transplant Institute and Chief of Transplantation at Renown Health. “We are deeply grateful for Melanie’s extraordinary generosity and for Lanie’s trust and confidence in our program.”
Renown Health is now accepting referrals for kidney transplants and is actively working towards certification by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Once certified, the hospital plans expand access by accepting more commercial payors, bringing hope to more patients across Nevada and beyond.