President, Cleveland Clinic Weston
“Reaching this milestone shows the enormous need for organ transplant services in South Florida and the region,” said Rodolfo J. Blandon, MD, MBA, president of the Weston Hospital of the Cleveland Clinic. “Since the beginning of our transplant program, we have had an exceptional team that continues to provide highly specialized care to patients with complex medical conditions. I am proud of the work they continue to do.
Clark was diagnosed with diabetes in his early 20s and began dialysis in 2015 when his kidney function deteriorated. He was first assessed for a kidney transplant in 2019, but has been advised to lose weight. After losing weight, he was reassessed and successfully registered for a kidney transplant. He assigns the transplant team continuous follow-up during the waiting list that has led to a successful transplant.
The Weston Hospital of the Cleveland Clinic received approval from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to perform adult liver and kidney transplants in 2013 and adult heart transplants in 2014. In addition out of 1,000 kidney transplants, the center has performed 375 liver and 198 heart transplants to Date. This year, Weston Hospital also began performing liver transplants from living donors.
“Our transplant team have worked tirelessly to achieve exceptional results on behalf of our patients,” said Antonio Pinna, MD, director of the Cleveland Clinic Weston Abdominal Transplant Center. “Their dedication and commitment to excellence is directly attributable to the success of our program. ”
Clark continues to recover after his successful kidney transplant. The former truck driver says he looks forward to returning to work, something he hasn’t been able to do since starting dialysis treatment in 2015.
According to UNOS, nationwide more than 112,000 people are waiting for an organ, and an average of 17 people die every day while waiting for a transplant. The average wait time for a patient on the kidney transplant waiting list to receive a kidney from a deceased donor is five years.
The Cleveland Clinic Weston, part of the Cleveland Clinic area of Florida, is a non-profit, multi-specialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. With offices in Weston, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Parkland, West Palm Beach, Wellington and Palm Beach Gardens, the Cleveland Clinic Weston has more than 250 physicians specializing in 55 specialties. The medical campus is fully integrated and includes diagnostic centers, outpatient surgery and a 24-hour emergency service, located in the state-of-the-art hospital. The Cleveland Clinic Florida area now includes the Cleveland Clinic Indian River and the Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, and has hospitals and outpatient centers in Broward, Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucia counties. The Florida area is an integral part of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where the delivery of exceptional patient care is based on the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic are experts in treating complex conditions that are difficult to diagnose. For more information about Cleveland Clinic Florida, visit www.clevelandclinicflorida.org. follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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