Pediatric Organ Transplant Program at Texas Children’s Hospital Leads the Nation for Seventh Consecutive Year

HOUSTON (Jan. 29, 2024) ― For the seventh consecutive year, Texas Children’s Hospital leads the nation in performing the most pediatric transplants, as reported by the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network (OPTN), the country’s unique public-private registry for organ matching.

 
“All of us at Texas Children’s are incredibly proud of the Transplant Services team and the difference they have made in countless lives,” said Mark A. Wallace, CEO of Texas Children’s Hospital. “Each member of the team is truly an inspiration. It’s because of their passion, commitment and tireless pursuit of excellence that Texas Children’s remains the top hospital in the nation for life-saving pediatric organ transplants.”

Texas Children’s Hospital Transplant Services team performed 99 organ transplants in 2023 – outpacing all other children’s hospitals by 14 complex surgeries. Over the last decade, Texas Children’s Hospital has performed 935 pediatric organ transplants, over 100 more transplants than any other pediatric hospital in the nation.

 
“To lead the nation in pediatric transplants for seven consecutive years is an outstanding achievement that wouldn’t be possible without our amazing team,” said Dr. Larry H. Hollier, Surgeon-in-Chief and Chair of the Texas Children’s Hospital Department of Surgery and Professor of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. “What makes that distinction even more meaningful is that our transplant outcomes are also among the best in the nation.  Our multidisciplinary team of transplant experts ensures that patients receive best-in-class care through each step of the transplant process – transplant evaluation, surgery and lifelong follow-up care. We are dedicated to helping our transplant recipients live long, healthy lives.”

In 2023, the Transplant Services team celebrated numerous milestones including transplanting its 550th heart, 750th liver and 600th kidney patients. Records were set this past year, as Texas Children’s performed the most kidney transplants in one year since the program’s inception. The team also performed eight combined kidney and liver transplants for pediatric patients with rare genetic disorders, setting a new national record for the most combined pediatric kidney/liver transplants performed by one center in a year. 
 

“Life-saving transplants are made possible through the generosity and selflessness of organ donors and their families,” said Dr. John A. Goss, Medical Director of Transplant Services at Texas Children’s Hospital and Professor and Chief of the Division of Abdominal Transplantation at Baylor College of Medicine. “These donors truly give the gift of life, and our care teams, patients, and families are so thankful for them.” 
 

For more information about Texas Children’s Hospital Transplant Services, please visit:  
https://www.texaschildrens.org/departments/transplant-services.
 

ABOUT TEXAS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL 
Texas Children’s, a nonprofit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas and among the top in the nation, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. The system includes the Texas Children’s Duncan NRI; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children’s care for communities north of Houston. The organization also created Texas Children’s Health Plan, the nation’s first HMO for children; Texas Children’s Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country; Texas Children’s Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that is channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, visit www.texaschildrens.org/.