Multi-Organ Transplant

Multi-organ transplants treat two or more failing or diseased organs by replacing them with healthy ones, usually from the same donor.

You may be considered for this procedure if all other therapies and treatments have been unsuccessful in improving your medical condition. We provide lifesaving treatment to critically ill patients.

As the region's only academic health system, UC San Diego Health is home to a comprehensive organ transplantation program capable of performing multi-organ transplantation. It's a complex procedure requiring sophisticated technology, advanced surgical and medical expertise, and intense collaboration — all available in our facilities.

You'll have access to a wide range of treatments and support services from a compassionate, multidisciplinary care team. We want to help you return to a healthy life.

Who Needs Multi-Organ Transplant?

Some medical conditions can affect more than one organ, leading to multiple organ failures. Sometimes, different illnesses or treatments may lead to unrelated organ failures.

The common cause of multiple organ failure is a multisystem disease called amyloidosis. This condition can lead to a buildup of abnormal proteins in organs such as the kidneys, heart, or liver. Other causes include cystic fibrosis, hemochromatosis, oxalosis, polycystic liver disease or polycystic kidney disease.

Why Choose Us?

Every transplant surgery requires specialized treatment. But if you need transplants for two or more organs at the same time, you require a team with advanced experience in each organ and in coordinating this complex process, which is not offered at most hospitals.

Our organ transplantation teams provide highly advanced transplant care in the country with exceptional patient outcomes. UC San Diego Health has invested in the personnel, equipment and facilities to do these types of high-risk transplant surgery safely and effectively for the benefit of the community.

• Many firsts in multiple-organ transplants have occurred at our hospitals, including the first heart-liver transplant in San Diego County, a rare and complex procedure, in 2016.
• As leaders in transplantation, we perform a combination of surgeries not performed in other hospitals, such as combined heart-lung, lung-liver-pancreas, liver-pancreas-kidney, and heart-lung-liver transplantation and multi-organ chest-abdominal transplants.
• We are the only hospital in the region to perform heart-lung and multi-organ chest-abdominal transplants. As part of an academic medical center, we’re committed to ongoing research and innovation in transplant procedures and multi-organ failure management to bring better diagnosis and treatment for all patients.

Our Transplant Services

We provide comprehensive services from pre-transplant monitoring to post-surgical care. You will undergo a thorough evaluation, testing and imaging for each organ that needs a transplant before we diagnose and customize the best treatment for your needs.

Our transplant team includes skilled surgeons, nutritionists, transplant coordinators, financial coordinators, pharmacists and specialists in critical care medicine, pulmonology, nephrology, cardiology and other related specialties.

We have expertise in performing complex transplant operations for vital organs:

• Heart Transplant
• Kidney Transplant
• Liver Transplant
• Lung Transplant

We want your experience with us to be as comfortable as possible. So we go beyond your medical needs to offer financial counseling, emotional and psychological support and transplant support groups.

Explore Our Transplant Support Services