How innovation is shaping the way forward for transplant care
This National Donate Life Month, Mayo Clinic is highlighting how innovation is shaping the way forward for transplant care.
"Over the last 50 years, transplant safety and outcomes have improved dramatically, making it a successful treatment for many patients. Since joining Mayo Clinic in 1976, I’ve seen how teamwork, research and high-volume expertise have driven advances," says Sylvester Sterioff, M.D., retired transplant surgeon.
Mayo Clinic carried out its first transplant in 1963, marking the beginning of its pioneering work in transplantation. At that point, surgeons did not usually specialise in transplants full time. The introduction of improved immunosuppression therapies within the Eighties significantly expanded capabilities, and surgical strategies have progressed from conventional open procedures to immediately’s superior strategies.
"These innovations now allow us to accept a broader range of organs, and preservation techniques have improved considerably," says Dr. Sterioff. "Over the years, I’ve witnessed success rates in transplantation rise from 35% to over 90%. Mayo Clinic’s foundation in collaborative, complex care makes these achievements possible."
Today, that progress is enabling much less invasive choices for some transplant sufferers.
