Achievements
Achievements in Lung Transplantation
- In 1986 Dr. J. Kent Trinkle leads the first heart transplant in South Texas.
- In 1987 the surgical team performs the first heart/lung transplant in South Texas.
- Dr. Trinkle and the team successfully perform the area's first single lung transplant in 1988.
- The program performed its 100th heart, lung or heart/lung transplant in 1990.
- In 1991 Dr. John Calhoon leads the surgical team that performs the first infant heart transplant in South Texas. The 17 day old little girl is one of the youngest in Texas to undergo a heart transplant.
- In 1993 Dr. Calhoon and the surgical team correct a defective aortic valve in a 2 day old boy. The operation had until that time been performed only on adults and a few older children.
Achievements in Liver Transplantation
- In 1992, the University surgical team, headed by Dr. Glenn Halff, performs its first liver transplant.
- Since 2000, we performed over 100 liver transplants in each year, making us one of only a handful of facilities in the United States to achieve this volume.
- The one year survival rate of liver recipients remains at 90%.
Since 1992, we have performed over 650 liver transplants. - We perform adult to adult and adult to child living liver transplants.
Achievements in Kidney/Pancreas Transplantation
- In 1995 Dr. Robert Esterl heads a team performing the first kidney/pancreas transplant in a South Texas civilian hospital.
- From 1999-2000 a total of 31 laparoscopic nephrectomies was successfully performed.
- We have performed over 550 kidney transplants since 1985.
