CHICAGO, IL – September 2, 2025 – Jessica Lopez doesn’t remember being able to see. The 32-year-old from Chicago, Ill., spent most of her childhood in a hospital, battling leukemia and retinoblastoma that would leave her completely blind. Although years of chemotherapy would help treat the cancers, it would lead to other health problems later in life.  

In November 2023, Lopez was engaged to be married when she found out she needed a new heart and a new liver. She was in heart failure from cardiomyopathy, a type of heart disease affecting the heart muscle, and the impact had spread to her liver. Lopez was listed for a double-organ transplant at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and spent one year on the waiting list. During that time, her condition began affecting a third organ. Lopez no longer needed just a heart and liver – she also needed a new kidney.  

Despite being considered high-risk for the procedure, Lopez says she was never scared. 

“I’ve always been a very positive person, and I don’t like to ever think negatively,” said Lopez. “I was confident from the very beginning that my doctors at Northwestern Medicine were going to do this successfully.”

Finding the right match

Triple-organ transplants are incredibly rare, with only 59 transplants of the heart, liver, and kidney recorded in the U.S. to date. Specialized teams with the Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute (BCVI) and the Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplant Center had performed a successful triple transplant in the past and were ready to take on Lopez’s case.  

“From the day I met her in clinic, I knew we were going to pull out all the stops to do what we needed to do to get her feeling better,” said Benjamin Bryner, MD, a cardiac surgeon at Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. “She has an attitude that’s really positive, she’s endearing, and has a great sense of humor. Just walking out of the clinic room, I thought, ‘this is going to be tricky, but we absolutely have to do this.’”

Wait times for triple-organ transplants are often longer than those for single-organ transplants since all three organs must come from the same donor. This can complicate the organ approval process, as sometimes two out of three organs may match but not the third. 

“When you have multiple failing organs, along with a patient who is young and has heart damage due to chemotherapy as opposed to the usual heart disease, it gets a lot more complicated,” said Dr. Bryner. “It’s unusual to find a recipient who can safely get through this complex of an operation.”

On February 24, three organs became available, and Lopez went in for her transplant. Lopez’s heart and liver were transplanted together before a different group of surgeons could move on to the kidney. 

“We transplanted the heart and liver in one block to limit the amount of time the organs go without blood or oxygen,” said Juan Carlos Caicedo, MD, transplant surgeon and surgical director of the Liver Transplant Program at Northwestern Medicine. “The heart and the liver stay connected the whole time from the donor to the recipient. While Dr. Bryner was doing the heart transplant, we were sewing the liver graft. You have two surgeons working simultaneously and that’s one of the advantages of our team.” 

Looking to the future

Lopez is now thriving with her new heart, liver, and kidney, and has been in remission from cancer for 20 years. 

“I feel like I was reborn again,” said Lopez. “I have more energy, my heart beats much stronger and my hands are even warmer. I’m incredibly grateful for my organ donor and their family. Because of their selfless decision, I’ve been given a second chance at life and can start planning for my future.”

Despite being blind with multiple medical challenges, Lopez never tells herself there’s something she can’t do.

“If I have to go somewhere I use landmarks when traveling on my own,” said Lopez. “My phone has accessibility to access rideshare and social media apps. When cooking for myself I use my hands to locate items on the stove. I cook things like rice, seafood, and spaghetti. It’s just about setting my mind to it.”

After recovering from surgery, she plans to attend Loyola University Chicago to study criminal investigation. She hopes to pursue a career in forensics and dreams of one day collecting evidence at crime scenes. 

Lopez and her fiancé, Christopher, are now planning a wedding in California and hope to tie the knot in 2026.  

Cancer’s toll on the heart

An estimated 18 million cancer survivors are currently in the United States and the number is expected to increase to nearly 22 million by 2030. Unfortunately, the same treatments that have improved outcomes for treating cancer can also damage the heart. 

According to the National Cancer Institute, adult survivors of childhood cancers are 10 times more likely to develop coronary disease and 15 times more likely to develop heart failure than their siblings. Treatment-related cardiovascular side effects – known as cardiotoxicities – are also common among survivors of adult cancers.

“When you think about life being unfair, Jessica was dealt a really difficult hand,” said Jonathan Rich, MD, a heart failure and heart transplantation cardiologist at Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. “As an infant, Jessica was diagnosed with cancer and found a way to be a cancer survivor. But in her case, the treatment she needed to become a cancer survivor likely led to her developing heart failure. It feels really unfair. Unfortunately, we do see this and in her in case I think that’s exactly what happened.” 

The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute offer a collaborative Cardio-Oncology Program. The program provides seamless care between cardiology and oncology services for patients affected by cancer. 

To learn more about heart failure and transplant options, visit nm.org.

CHICAGO – September 25, 2024 – In a pioneering medical breakthrough at Northwestern Medicine, surgeons have successfully performed a double-lung transplant on a patient with stage 4 colorectal cancer who had limited time to live. The procedure was achieved through the Double Lung Replacement and Multidisciplinary Care (DREAM) Program, a first-of-its-kind clinical initiative that was designed for select patients with advanced lung cancers that do not respond to contemporary treatments.

The patient, 42-year-old Amanda “Mandy” Wilk of Savage, Minn., had been battling stage 4 colorectal cancer since 2017, which had initially spread to her liver. After undergoing cancer treatments and receiving a liver transplant from her brother, the cancer returned – this time in her lungs. Facing few options for survival, Wilk sought out the DREAM program at Northwestern Medicine.

On June 3, Wilk received new lungs and was discharged from Northwestern Memorial Hospital one week later on June 10 – her 42^nd birthday. In a moment she had been waiting eight years for, Wilk rang the bell signaling she had completed cancer treatment. She currently has no signs of cancer in her body and doesn’t require any further cancer therapy.

“This is a first-of-its-kind surgery at Northwestern Medicine where a patient with stage 4 colorectal cancer has successfully received a double-lung transplant,” said Ankit Bharat, MD, chief of thoracic surgery and director of the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute. “Our surgical team meticulously removed Mandy’s cancer-ridden lungs without allowing any cancerous cells to spill into her bloodstream, and then we transplanted new lungs. Based on all the testing that’s available to us – CT scans, PET scans, and molecular analyses of circulating cancer DNA in Mandy’s blood – we don’t see any remaining signs of cancer in her body. While we’re optimistic about her future, it’s important to approach this with cautious optimism as further research is needed to understand the long-term outcomes.”

A Journey of Resilience and Innovation

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States, with increasing numbers of people being diagnosed under the age of 50. When it metastasizes, it typically spreads to the liver or lungs, leaving few options for possible survival. Cancers of the lungs or those that travel to the lungs result in the most cancer-related deaths in the U.S.

Originally from Lake Zurich, Ill., Wilk moved to Minnesota where she works with the kindergarten through fifth grade teaching staff of Bloomington as an elementary curriculum and instruction specialist. In her spare time, Wilk enjoys running, the arts and attending sporting events with her partner and brothers.

In 2017, at the age of 34, Wilk thought she had food poisoning, but persistent symptoms led to a diagnosis of stage 4 colorectal cancer that had already spread to the liver. Wilk was given approximately two years to live. Treatments included a partial colon resection, chemotherapy, liver ablations and radiation beads on the liver, before receiving a liver transplant from her younger brother, Adam, in 2020. But six months later, the cancer returned – this time to the lungs.

“I traveled to almost every major health system across the country, and they all told me there was nothing more they could do,” said Wilk. “I believe in forward-thinking and was not going to take ‘no’ for answer, so when I inquired about the DREAM program at Northwestern Medicine, I was ecstatic that they were ready and eager to help me live.”

Wilk’s partner, Chris Withers, is a television producer for the Chicago White Sox, so Chicago was already like a second home to the couple. During the offseason, they live in Minnesota, but for Mandy, much of the summer is spent between Minnesota and Chicago. In March 2024, Wilk traveled to Chicago for a lung transplant evaluation and was then listed the day after Memorial Day. On June 3, Wilk received new lungs and one week later, she was doing so well that she was discharged from Northwestern Memorial on June 10 – which happened to be her 42nd birthday.

“Throughout my eight-year journey of battling cancer, the one thing I’ve always wanted to do was ‘ring the bell,’ signaling my completion of cancer treatment,” said Wilk. “Many doctors told me I’d never be able to ring it, so when my lung transplant social worker made it happen on my birthday, there was no greater feeling. I was finally able to celebrate being cancer-free.”

A New Chapter for Patients Facing Terminal Diagnoses

Wilk was recently given the “green light” by her lung transplant pulmonologist to start running again. While she continues to recover in Chicago for the next several months, Wilk can be found walking and jogging along Chicago’s lakefront trail. Her new goal is to one day run a marathon.

“Mandy has flown through the recovery process. Typically, lung transplant patients require several days, if not weeks, in a rehabilitation center, but because Mandy was young and made exercise a priority before transplant, rehab wasn’t needed,” said Catherine Myers, MD, lung transplant pulmonologist with the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute. “When Mandy asked me about being able to run again, I told her to start slow and gradually build up speed. Her determination has no limits, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Mandy cross another finish line in the near future. As a runner myself, if Mandy decides to run the Chicago Marathon someday, I would love to run alongside her.”

Giving Back and Inspiring Others

Beyond her medical journey, Wilk is passionate about art and uses the skill to help pay it forward. Four years ago, her brother Adam started Mandy’s Foundation which has raised more than $60,000 for the art therapy program at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Since Mandy’s career has been dedicated to helping children, the goal is to provide positive experiences to children who are hospitalized during cancer treatment.  

“I have been given a new gift of life not once, but twice – first with my new liver, and now with my new lungs,” said Wilk. “When you’re diagnosed with cancer, often times you’re treated like a number and not a person, but my team at Northwestern Medicine, from the nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and even the food service workers, all saw and treated me as Mandy. I hope my story inspires others to continue advocating for themselves.”

About the DREAM Program

The Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute is currently the only clinical site in the nation offering this treatment for lung cancer patients without any options. Using lessons learned from pioneering COVID-19 lung transplantation in the United States, surgeons developed the novel surgical technique to clear the cancer during surgery while minimizing the risk of spread that has plagued prior such attempts at other hospitals.

“Unlike the conventional technique of sequential transplants, this innovative technique involves putting the patient on full heart and lung bypass, delicately taking both cancer-ridden lungs out at the same time along with the lymph nodes, washing the airways and the chest cavity to clear the cancer, and then transplanting new lungs,” said Dr. Bharat. “These patients can have billions of cancer cells in the lungs, so we must be extremely meticulous to not let a single cell spill into the patient’s chest cavity or blood stream. We believe this technique can help reduce the risk of recurrence.”

To date, surgeons have performed more than 40 successful lung transplants for cancer patients under the DREAM program. The outcomes of the program’s patients are being tracked in a research registry also called DREAM.

“While we are encouraged by success stories like Mandy's, it's important to recognize that this is a highly specialized procedure that may not be suitable for all patients with metastatic cancer,” added Dr. Bharat. “Careful evaluation and selection are key to ensuring the best possible outcomes.”

Patients interested in being evaluated for a lung transplant can contact the referral line at 844.639.5864. 

For more information about Northwestern Medicine’s lung transplant programs, as well as advanced therapies, visit nm.org. 

“Performing 10,000 abdominal transplants is a tremendous milestone for Northwestern Medicine,” said Satish Nadig, MD, PhD, chief of the division of abdominal organ transplantation and director of the comprehensive transplant center at Northwestern Medicine. “Through organ transplantation, we have saved the lives of over 10,000 patients. As physicians, nurses, social workers and staff, we celebrate every life saved by an organ transplant. As we achieve this unique milestone, it was also time to reflect and thank the patients and family members who chose to donate their organs to save lives.” 

Starting in 1964, Northwestern Medicine’s organ transplant program is one of the largest and longest running in Illinois. It has performed: 

• More than 6,500 kidney transplants – the first program in Illinois to achieve that feat;
• More than 2,600 liver transplants - the first program in Illinois to achieve that feat;
• More than 850 pancreas transplants – the first program in Illinois to achieve that feat.

In 2023, Northwestern Medicine performed 518 abdominal transplants, which was eighth in the nation for transplant volume (includes heart and lung transplants). Northwestern Medicine is the largest transplant and living donor program in Illinois and one of the largest in the United States, performing 347 kidney transplants, 138 liver transplants and 33 pancreas transplants in 2023 and ranks seventh in the nation in kidney transplant volume, 29^th in liver transplant volume and third in pancreas volume. 

“As we look towards the future, Northwestern Medicine is on the cusp of the next era of transplant with advances in technology and innovation,” said Dr. Nadig. “It’s an exciting time in transplant and we are committed to continually improve the field with the goal of improving the lives of our patients.” 

A leader in equitable access in transplantation, Northwestern Medicine founded the Hispanic Transplant Program and the African American Transplant Program.

Northwestern Medicine Hispanic Transplant Program the first program in the country to address the needs of Hispanic and Spanish-speaking patients

Started in December 2006, the Northwestern Medicine Hispanic Transplant Program is the first program in the United States providing transplant care for English and Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients, offering a culturally sensitive program that serves Hispanic patients and families who need transplants.

“We established the Northwestern Medicine Hispanic Transplant Program because there was a significant need in the Hispanic community,” said Juan Carlos Caicedo, MD, founder and director of the Northwestern Medicine Hispanic Transplant Program. “We now have more than 60 team members supporting the program, focused on serving the Hispanic community. Our team is bilingual and bicultural, and we have increased organ donation while improving access to transplant care in the Hispanic community.”

Since 2007, the Northwestern Medicine Hispanic Transplant Program has performed over 1,600 transplants – all abdominal organs – in Hispanic and Latino patients.  

Northwestern Medicine African American Transplant Access Program addresses disparities in access to transplantation experienced by the Black community 

Founded in 2019, the Northwestern Medicine African American Transplant Access Program breaks down barriers to transplant care in the African American community through access to education, resources and transplant care. 

“As we approach our 50^th transplant procedure through the Northwestern Medicine African American Transplant Access Program, we are seeing the results of equitable access to transplant care,” said Dinee Simpson, MD, founder and director of the Northwestern Medicine African American Transplant Program and chief health equity executive at Northwestern Medicine. “We will continue to break down barriers to transplant for African American patients by helping them navigate the transplant process, rebuilding their trust in healthcare and continuing to be a trusted destination for transplantation among African American patients.” 

The Northwestern Medicine African American Transplant Access Program addresses patient distrust in health care, cultural competency, health literacy and psychosocial support.

Driven by research and clinical trial offerings 

The Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplant Center currently has over 90 active clinical trials and has received $8 million in federal funding for transplant research. Including heart and lung transplants, Northwestern Medicine performed 651 transplants in 2023, which is eighth nationally in transplant volume, 97 lung transplants – fourth in the nation – and 37 heart transplants, which is 44^th in the nation. 

People who are interested in becoming living donors can visit nmlivingdonor.org.

For more information on the Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplant Center, visit nm.org.

CHICAGO – March 28, 2024 – For the first time at Northwestern Medicine, surgeons have successfully performed a combined lung-liver transplant on a patient with advanced lung cancer who had limited time to live. The patient, 69-year-old Gary Gibbon, MD, a pulmonologist, allergist and immunologist from Santa Monica, Cali., was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer in March 2023. After undergoing chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy at a California hospital, Dr. Gibbon was admitted to the intensive care unit, where he learned the immunotherapy had not only permanently destroyed his lungs, but also caused irreparable damage to his liver. His only option for survival would be traveling to Chicago for a combined lung-liver transplant, where a first-of-its-kind clinical program called Double Lung Replacement and Multidisciplinary Care (DREAM) was established for select patients with advanced lung cancers that do not respond to conventional treatments. In September 2023, Dr. Gibbon received his new lungs and liver from the same donor, and six months after surgery, Dr. Gibbon still has no signs of cancer in his body and doesn’t require any further cancer therapy.

“To our knowledge, this is the first known case in the nation where a patient with advanced lung cancer has successfully received a combined lung-liver transplant,” said Ankit Bharat, MD, chief of thoracic surgery and director of the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute who performed Dr. Gibbon’s lung transplant. “The purpose of DREAM is to help patients with some forms of late-stage cancers that are only limited to the lungs through double-lung transplantation if conventional or experimental treatments have failed. In Dr. Gibbon’s case, he received all possible treatments for his aggressive lung cancer. Unfortunately, not only did his cancer not get treated, but he also developed severe damage to his lungs and liver that was unsustainable with life. He was running out of time, and the DREAM program was his only option for survival.”  

“Even though a combined lung-liver transplant for advanced lung cancer had never been done before, our team was confident we could do this, and more importantly, Dr. Gibbon had full confidence in us,” said Satish Nadig, MD, PhD, transplant surgeon and director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center who performed Dr. Gibbon’s liver transplant. “We’re not just here to do transplant – we’re here to change the world of transplantation by innovating and moving the field forward. Out-of-the-box thinking is exactly what we hang our hat on at Northwestern Medicine, and without this procedure, I can confidently say that Dr. Gibbon would not be here today, cancer-free, breathing on his own, celebrating his 69^th birthday.”

Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Dr. Gibbon moved to Santa Monica where he was in private practice for 33 years until his recent hospitalization. He’s also an associate professor at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. In March 2023, Dr. Gibbon started coughing and losing weight; a chest X-ray confirmed a mass with a diagnosis of stage 3 lung cancer. He proceeded with chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation, and by mid-July he was hospitalized with septic shock, pneumonia and multiple organ failure. His lungs had become fibrotic due to the cancer treatment, and he was fighting for his life in a Los Angeles intensive care unit.

“As a pulmonologist, I never imagined I’d ever need a lung transplant – let alone for lung cancer,” said Dr. Gibbon. “While my doctors in California had done everything they could, we knew there was only one place in the entire country that could give me a fighting chance, and after speaking with Dr. Bharat, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“Dr. Gibbon met the criteria to receive a double-lung transplant through our DREAM program, but as the preliminary evaluation was performed prior to his acceptance to Northwestern Medicine, our team discovered that he had also developed liver cirrhosis from the immunotherapy. We had to modify our DREAM program and work with Dr. Nadig’s team to formulate a pathway for Dr. Gibbon to receive not only a double-lung transplant, but a concurrent liver transplant. Fortunately, we were able to do it just in time for Dr. Gibbon to receive this first-of-its-kind procedure,” said Dr. Bharat.

On Sept. 10, the then 68-year-old was transported to Chicago via a four-hour medical flight and waited for new organs from his ICU bed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. After spending 12 days on the transplant waitlist, Dr. Gibbon received his new lungs shortly before midnight on Sept. 26, and his new liver in the early hours on Sept. 27.

Drs. Bharat and Nadig worked together during the 10-hour procedure. While the new lungs were put in first, the donor liver was kept alive outside the body thanks to new technology called liver perfusion – or “liver in a box.” The liver was attached to a machine that pumps warm, oxygenated and nutrient-enriched blood through the organ. With the liver was on the pump, the team could assess its function to ensure the liver was ideal for transplantation.

“Transplantation is ever evolving and we’re embarking upon the era of technology. Dr. Bharat anticipated that the lung transplant would be extremely challenging due to the size of Dr. Gibbon’s tumor and the different types of treatments, including radiation, to the lungs and chest which would result in the lungs getting fused to the surrounding structures. To give Dr. Bharat sufficient time to meticulously remove the damaged lungs and all the cancer, we used the new liver perfusion technology through which we were able to keep the liver alive outside the body for an extended duration,” said Dr. Nadig. “Dr. Gibbon’s transplant took so many resources and teams across multiple departments at multiple health systems. To leave his ICU bed in California, travel to Chicago, get him listed, then transplanted, while using technologies and techniques that aren’t common, took extreme efforts. Northwestern Medicine handles complicated cases very well.”

To date, the Canning Thoracic Institute (CTI) has performed more than 30 lung transplants for patients under the DREAM program, including several with terminal stage IV lung cancer and one in which cancer from another organ had spread to the lungs. Using lessons learned from pioneering COVID-19 lung transplantation in the United States, CTI surgeons developed the novel surgical technique to clear the cancer during surgery while minimizing the risk of spread that has plagued prior such attempts at other hospitals.

“Unlike the conventional technique of sequential transplants, this innovative technique involves putting the patient on full heart and lung bypass, delicately taking both cancer-ridden lungs out at the same time along with the lymph nodes, washing the airways and the chest cavity to clear the cancer, and then putting new lungs in,” said Dr. Bharat. “These patients can have billions of cancer cells in the lungs, so we must be extremely meticulous to not let a single cell spill into the patient’s chest cavity or blood stream. We believe this technique can help reduce the risk of recurrence, which we learned through our experience with pioneering COVID-19 lung transplants.”

The outcomes of the program’s patients are being tracked in a research registry also called DREAM. Dr. Gibbon is grateful to have his name added to the list and is even more appreciative to celebrate his birthday (March 27) and National Doctors’ Day (March 30) with two of the physicians who helped save his life. To date, the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute is the only place in the nation offering this treatment for patients without any other hope.

“I’ve been a physician for decades, and we tend to be conservative at times with our treatment plans, which is why the enormity of the science that went into this procedure is awe-inspiring to me,” said Dr. Gibbon. “As a physician, I knew I was in the right place. I wasn’t just stepping on the moon by myself. It took surgeons, oncologists, transplant specialists, nurses, respiratory therapists and most importantly, my donor, to help me get my ‘Triple L’ – two lungs and a liver. This DREAM program is new territory for transplantation and the fact that I could experience it and have a wonderful outcome makes me feel so blessed. I wouldn’t be here today without Northwestern Medicine.”

“Because Dr. Gibbon is a pulmonologist and allergy specialist, he’s familiar with lung diseases, which made this case even more special,” said Dr. Bharat. “As physicians helping another physician, we feel very proud that we were able to do something that hopefully opens the doors for future patients who would otherwise not survive.”

Cancers of the lung are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States with more people dying of lung cancer than colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. Lung cancer patients interested in being evaluated for a lung transplant can contact the referral line at 844.639.5864. For more information about Northwestern Medicine’s transplant programs, as well as advanced therapies, visit nm.org.  

The Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplant Center is now one of the largest transplant centers in the Midwest to use both warm and cold liver perfusion to make more livers available for lifesaving transplants. These advanced technologies improve donor liver quality and enhance the recovery process for patients at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

To perfuse a donor liver, surgeons attach it to a machine that circulates either warm, oxygenated and nutrient-enriched blood or a cold, oxygen-rich solution. The technology helps transplant teams optimize the liver while it is being transported to its recipient.

“Our team has pioneered some of the first clinical trials as this rapidly evolving technology has been introduced in the United States,” said Daniel Borja, MD, a national leader in liver perfusion and a transplant surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “Northwestern Medicine is among the leading transplant programs that are heavily investing in perfusion technologies because we have seen how patients recover faster and better when their livers have been perfused.”

The need for liver transplants in the United States far exceeds the supply of viable organs. More than 10,000 people are on the waiting list for liver transplants in the United States. In 2020, three patients died each day waiting for liver transplants. In the first six months of 2023, about half of the people who needed livers were able to receive them, according to the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network.

“We are already the most experienced cold liver perfusion team in Illinois, and now that we are introducing warm perfusion, more patients will benefit,” Dr. Borja said. “They choose Northwestern Medicine for transplant care because they know we will do all we can to improve their health. When you’re suffering from liver failure, you want a team that will use the latest research and technology to make a healthier life possible.”

During warm (normothermic) perfusion, surgeons attach the donor liver to a machine that pumps warm, oxygenated and nutrient-enriched blood through the organ. While the liver is on the pump, the team assesses its function to ensure it is ideal for transplantation. This is especially important when the donor liver is classified as “marginal” or considered suboptimal for transplantation due to various criteria. While many transplant centers are forced to discard these organs, Northwestern Medicine’s team carefully evaluates them and is often able to find an appropriate patient match, thanks to perfusion technologies.

“Our team already has short liver waitlist times and low waitlist mortality rates, and warm perfusion will enable us to transplant even more patients, faster,” said Zachary Dietch, MD, transplant surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “Now we’re able to expand our program because we can travel farther to procure a liver, place it on the pump and monitor its performance as we travel back to Chicago.”

A Northwestern Memorial Hospital team led by Dr. Borja is also part of a clinical trial using cold (hypothermic) perfusion to preserve livers for transplantation. For the study, surgeons attach the liver to a precision-controlled pump that circulates a chilled, oxygen-rich solution into the hepatic artery and portal vein. The liver’s mitochondria have a chance to repair as the solution circulates and the organ rests.

“The solution helps preserve and repair the liver so that by the time we place it in the patient, it is ready to work faster and starts working better,” Dr. Borja said. “So far, patients who have received perfused livers seem to be recovering faster and better than patients who received similar livers without machine perfusion.”

Dr. Borja said the team will continue to monitor patient outcomes for the FDA-approved warm perfusion and the cold perfusion clinical trial. Each patient will have a personalized treatment plan to achieve the best-possible results.

The heart, lung and kidney transplant teams at Northwestern Memorial Hospital also use warm perfusion technologies to preserve and assess organs. As the demand for organ transplantation grows, Northwestern Medicine continues to develop new ways to expand the pool of viable donor organs.

“The same diseases that are damaging the organs of our recipients are also affecting the donor population,” Dr. Borja said. “Diabetes, obesity, hypertension and other chronic conditions all affect the health of our donors, and we do all we can to make those organs usable for transplantation.”

Transplant surgeon Juan Carlos Caicedo, MD, says every scientific advancement is possible only because individuals and families make the selfless choice to donate organs.

“Organ donation, whether from a living donor or a deceased donor, is the greatest gift a person can receive,” Dr. Caicedo said. “We honor donors when we make more organs viable for transplantation. Research and innovation are helping our team maximize the possibilities.”

Surgeons and staff at Northwestern Memorial Hospital have performed their 2,500^th liver transplant surgery, becoming the first health system in Illinois to reach this milestone. The hospital performed its first liver transplant surgery in 1993 and has since become a destination for lifesaving liver care.

“We celebrate every life that has been saved because of our team’s dedication to exceptional patient care,” said Juan Carlos Caicedo, MD, surgical director of liver transplantation at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “Transplant surgeries change the lives of patients, their families and their communities. As physicians, nurses, social workers and staff, we are fulfilled by this work and celebrate the gift of life. We are also thankful to the real heroes of transplant surgery, the patients and family members who choose to donate their organs to save the lives of others.”

Northwestern Medicine is home to the largest organ transplant and living donor organ transplant programs in Illinois. It was the first to offer programs that focus on the unique needs of Hispanic and African American patients, and continues to have the largest such programs. It is home to more than 90 current clinical trials related to transplant and receives $8 million in federal funding for transplant research. As a result of this advanced approach, the team can transplant marginal livers that other transplant centers may have to reject.

“We are able to optimize organs through perfusion and surgical techniques to make them appropriate for patients who would be otherwise unlikely to receive transplants,” Dr. Caicedo said. “This makes even more organs available to the many patients who are on the waiting list.”

The liver transplant program’s capabilities extend to patients in Chicago’s suburbs, downstate Illinois and in Indiana. Transplant hepatologists from Northwestern Memorial Hospital travel to 17 satellite clinics so patients can receive care closer to home.

“More than 77 percent of patients who receive liver transplants at Northwestern Memorial Hospital come from ZIP codes outside of Chicago,”  said Laura Kulik, MD, clinical practice director of hepatology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “About a quarter of them are hospitalized at the time of their liver transplants, but the vast majority require frequent outpatient visits for physician appointments and laboratory testing. We partner closely with primary care physicians, gastroenterologists and community hepatologists to coordinate each patient’s care and create personalized plans.”  

A new inpatient unit at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital provides highly specialized pre- and post-transplant care to patients who need liver transplants and want to stay closer to home.

“Many patients who are waiting for liver transplants live unpredictable lives because of the seriousness of their disease,” said Sean Koppe, MD, network director of transplant hepatology at Northwestern Medicine. “By extending our inpatient services to the suburbs, we hope to keep patients closer to home while they wait for their lifesaving surgeries.”

Dr. Caicedo said the 2,500^th liver transplant milestone was made possible by innovation, collaboration and a shared commitment to leading-edge patient care.

“We are thankful to every organ donor and their family, and to each member of the team that has referred patients, performed research, coordinated transplants and provided bedside care to the people we serve,” Dr. Caicedo said. “Our support staff has helped create a culture of compassion that defines our team. We encourage each other to do more, celebrate every win and never forget the beauty of sending a patient home with a healthy new liver. It is an honor to care for these patients every day.”

“Physicians from Northwestern Memorial Hospital travel to 17 satellite clinics throughout the suburbs and downstate Illinois to treat thousands of patients with liver disease,” said Justin Boike, MD, a hepatologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “We knew from experience that it can be difficult for patients to travel to the many medical appointments that are required before and after a liver transplant.”

The expanded inpatient services will complement the advanced liver care that is already offered at outpatient Northwestern Medicine locations throughout the suburbs, said Ken Hedley, president at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital.

“Our hospital has always been recognized for providing high-quality care, and we’ve seen an increased demand for a higher level of inpatient liver disease treatment,” Hedley said. “Now, patients will be able to access all the care they need without traveling into the city for anything other than the actual surgery.”

More than 77 percent of patients who receive liver transplants at Northwestern Memorial Hospital come from ZIP codes outside of Chicago. About a quarter of them are hospitalized at the time of their liver transplants, but the vast majority require frequent outpatient visits for physician appointments and laboratory testing.

“Many patients who are waiting for liver transplants live unpredictable lives because of the seriousness of their disease,” said Sean Koppe, MD, network director of transplant hepatology at Northwestern Medicine. “By extending our inpatient services to the suburbs, we hope to keep patients closer to home while they wait for their lifesaving surgeries.”

The liver transplant team at Northwestern Memorial Hospital partnered closely with the team at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital to add the highly specialized care that is required for patients awaiting liver transplantation. In addition to expanded testing and screening capabilities, the team dedicated an inpatient nursing unit to patients with liver disease and an outpatient clinic was opened for physician appointments. Transplant hepatologists and transplant surgeons from Northwestern Memorial Hospital have joined the medical staff at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital to provide inpatient care to patients with liver disease.

“Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital is now providing the same level of inpatient transplant care that we have always offered in Chicago,” Dr. Boike said. “In the past, some of these patients already received care at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, but they were spread throughout the building based on the severity of their illnesses. Now, they will receive care on a dedicated nursing unit where the staff specializes in the treatment of patients with liver disease.”

In the past, hepatologists have been disappointed to hear patients have declined further treatment because they lack access to transportation or because they do not want to travel into the city for care.

“We hope that by bringing this care closer to home, patients will be diagnosed and treated earlier in the disease process and before they become very ill,” Koppe said. “We want our patients to spend more time with their families and friends and less time traveling for medical care.”

Physicians and staff members at both hospitals collaborated to ensure patients receive seamless care no matter which location they choose, said Satish Nadig, MD, PhD, chief of the division of abdominal organ transplantation and the director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center.

“Our goal at Northwestern Medicine Transplant is to be patient-centric with every decision we make,” Dr. Nadig said. “To that end, expansion of our liver program to Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital allows us to provide our world-class transplant care closer to where our patients live and work.”

John Pandolfino, MD, chief of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, said the expanded program is a result of the close relationships between patients and their physicians.

“For several years, our hepatologists have asked patients how we could better meet their needs as they deal with chronic liver disease,” Dr. Pandolfino said. “They told us they want to receive care at a hospital that provides trusted, high-quality services. It is our privilege and honor to partner with the team at Central DuPage Hospital to provide top-notch liver care to our patients.”