Immediate Release

Parkland transplant program celebrates 45 years Parkland's patient survival rate after transplant better than national average

DALLAS - Nov. 5 will mark the 45th anniversary of Texas' first successful kidney transplant - performed at Parkland. A special celebration will be held for transplant recipients and Parkland staff from 3 to 6 p.m., Nov. 5 in the Ron J. Anderson, MD Conference Center at Parkland, 5201 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas. In 1964, a team led by transplant pioneer Dr. Paul Peters performed the first successful kidney transplant in Texas at Parkland, transplanting a new kidney into 10-year-old Mary Freeman from her identical twin, Nancy. But the anniversary is not the only celebration. Parkland's patient survival rate one year following a kidney transplant is 98.9 percent - 2 percentage points better than the national average.       "Our outcomes well exceed the expected because of the dedication of our employees to their recovery and health. We follow patients closely after their transplant and encourage healthy lifestyles to prevent the need for another transplant in the future," said Susan Cauley, transplant unit manager at Parkland. Parkland is evaluated twice a year by a national database called The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. The review is needed in order to remain in good standing with the United Network for Organ Sharing, a non-profit, scientific and educational organization that administers the nation's only Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. "We are a small part of the hospital that does a lot of good for a lot of people," Cauley said. "This celebration will mark an important milestone in Parkland's history, but also for Dallas and the entire state."

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For Further Information Contact: Charise Thomason 214.590.8054 charise.thomason@parknet.pmh.org