About Our Program

Downstate has transformed thousands of lives since performing our first transplant in 1965. Today, we're one of the most active transplant programs in New York State.

The doctors in our Kidney Transplant Program are industry leaders. Over the past five decades, they have been at the forefront of procedures and techniques that have become common.

We were the first hospital in New York to perform a kidney-pancreas transplant. We were the first hospital in New York to perform a dual kidney transplant. We were among the first hospitals in the country to perform laparoscopic surgery to remove kidneys from living donors.

If you're a patient or family living with end-stage kidney disease, though, advanced science is only part of the equation for success. The care you receive is just as important. The road to a kidney transplant can be long; the waiting list for kidneys in New York alone is around 2,500 people. We'll be with you from your initial questions about whether a transplant is right for you, all the way through your post-transplant care.

Some fortunate recipients are able to find kidneys through living donors. As safe as this procedure is, it takes a brave—and selfless—individual who is willing to see it through. We host weekly information sessions for prospective donors, where they can meet individuals who have gone through the procedure and determine whether transplantation is a good choice.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
— Maya Angelou