Kidney transplant

A kidney transplant offers new hope for a healthy life. Our kidney transplant team leads the nation in innovative care and lifelong support.

Make an appointmentCall 800-789-7366
Double organ recipient of a kidney and pancreas, Jessica Bonkoski, on swing set with her child

Among the top kidney transplant hospitals in the country

Living with advanced kidney disease and frequent dialysis appointments takes a toll on your life and well-being. A kidney transplant is a lifesaving gift that gives you more freedom and healthy days.

At Penn Medicine, our kidney transplant team facilitates that gift for more than 200 people every year. Since 1966, we’ve taken the transplant journey with thousands of patients and families, making us one of the top programs in the country, with results that consistently exceed national averages.

Our expertise in complex organ transplantation procedures goes beyond what most transplant centers can offer. Our thriving living donor kidney transplant program shortens or eliminates waiting list time for many of our patients. We also have deep expertise in dual-organ transplants and kidney autotransplantation.

At the Penn Transplant Institute, we’re proud to call our patients family. We’re here for you whenever you need us, for the rest of your life.

Care and support through every stage of kidney transplantation

Our kidney transplant team is committed to compassionately guiding you and your family through every step of the transplant process. From your first visit with us to follow-up visits in the years to come, you can count on us for the very best medical care and support.

Clinical trials

Clinical trials offer patients the opportunity to try new and effective treatments and take part in future research.

Find a clinical trial

Second opinions

If you've received a diagnosis, our team of experts offers second opinions to grant you peace of mind.

Schedule a second opinion

Giving to the Transplant Institute

Your gift enables our researchers and clinicians to continue life-saving transplant programs.

Give a donation

Revolutionizing kidney transplant medicine

At Penn Medicine, your well-being is always at the heart of our research efforts. Our kidney transplant doctors are also researchers, pioneering ways to make patients’ lives better and healthier by improving transplant outcomes and patient care.

Our clinical trials explore new treatments, medications, and techniques to enhance kidney transplant surgery success and make recovery easier. Through our clinical trials, you have the opportunity to access innovative therapies and contribute to advancements in kidney transplant medicine.

Double organ recipient of a kidney and pancreas, Jessica Bonkoski, on swing set with her child

Simultaneous pancreas kidney (SPK) transplantation at Penn Medicine

Our expertise in kidney-pancreas transplants changes the lives of people who have both diabetes and end-stage kidney failure. The waitlist time is shorter for dual organ transplant, and it has better survival outcomes than a kidney transplant alone.

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A study in nine patients suggests the use of hepatitis C-infected organs may be viable option for patients awaiting a heart transplant.

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Patient stories

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From cancer survivor to lung failure, Joey Porch’s journey took a miraculous turn with the help of the Penn Lung Rescue team
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Kidney donation bonds two veterans forever

Air Force veteran Morgan Slaughter saw a post about another veteran in need. What followed was a selfless act that saved the life of a stranger.
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Tool measures tumor growth for less uncertainty between scans

Neuroradiologists have developed the first-ever tool that gives a real-time assessment of an individual’s tumor, and relieves anxiety between scans.
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Living kidney donor shares her experience

Living kidney donor Joanie Shappell details her experience at the Penn Transplant Institute to help others considering living donation.
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New lungs, a new liver, and a new lease on life

Decades after a childhood diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, Donald traveled across the world to find transplant care he could trust at Penn Medicine.
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Bringing the hospital home

With Penn Medicine Advanced Home Health, even patients facing a potentially serious medical issue can receive care safely at home.
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Finding triple-negative breast cancer at 33, she chose ‘Team Penn’

Shocked to learn she had stage III breast cancer, Kate Korson knew just where to go. She flew home to Penn Medicine, where a clinical trial saved her life.
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CNN anchor Kasie Hunt had brain surgery at Penn

Before starting her own daily news show, journalist Kasie Hunt came to Penn Medicine for a growing brain tumor that was causing painful headaches.
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‘You won the lottery’: The very first CAR T cell patient

Bill Ludwig will forever be known as the first person successfully treated with a cellular therapy that kills cancer cells with his own immune system.
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No place like home

Home health care is evolving from convenience to a crucial edge for the future of medicine.
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Schedule an appointment

We can help you schedule an appointment or you can search our directory of specialists.

Make an appointmentCall 800-789-7366