Children's Kidney Transplant Program

If your child has end-stage renal disease and needs a kidney transplant, we can help.

The kidney transplant program at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh is one of the most active in the world.

We did our first kidney transplant in 1964. Since then, we've helped hundreds of children and teens in need of a new kidney.

To learn more, call the kidney transplant team at UPMC Children's Hospital at 412-692-5182.

Helping Kids Be Kids

The kidneys are crucial for removing waste and extra fluids from the body. When they stop working, waste builds up and causes kidney failure.

A transplant is the best treatment for kidney failure. It also lets your child avoid or stop dialysis, which takes time away from friends, school, and hobbies.

The goal of the kidney transplant program at UPMC Children's Hospital is to restore your child's health and wellness.

The types of transplants we do include:

• Living-donor kidney transplants.
• Deceased-donor kidney transplants.
• Liver/kidney transplants.
• Multivisceral/kidney transplants.

Our experts did the world's first living-related pediatric kidney/bone marrow transplant.

Preemptive Kidney Transplant for Children: A Life-saving Option

At UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, we offer families the option to pursue a preemptive kidney transplant before their child with chronic kidney disease (CKD) begins dialysis. A preemptive kidney transplant occurs before a child’s CKD progresses to end-stage kidney disease. This proactive approach can offer significant health benefits and improve long-term outcomes compared to starting end-stage kidney treatment with dialysis.

Children with end-stage kidney disease face numerous challenges, including growth delays, learning difficulties, and frequent hospital visits. Dialysis can be physically and emotionally taxing, as treatment can be up to four days a week for multiple hours a day. A preemptive kidney transplant before a child starts dialysis can help avoid these issues by maintaining better overall health and development. Early referral to a transplant center is crucial to explore this option fully and give a child with end-stage kidney disease the best possible future.

Why Choose UPMC Children's for Your Child's Kidney Transplant?

Our program was one of the first in the world to use tacrolimus as its main immune suppressant drug.

As a result:

• Long-term patient and graft survival rates are among the best in the world.
• Most children can stop taking chronic maintenance steroids.

Current live-donor kidney transplant pretreatment with alemtuzumab allows us to avoid steroids after transplant.

Learn more facts about kidney transplants at UPMC Children's (PDF).

Contact the Kidney Transplant Program at UPMC Children's

If you have questions or concerns about your child's kidney disease or transplant, call our team at 412-692-5182.