The Henry Ford Transplant Institute has long been recognized as a leader in Michigan in transplantation of the heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas, and bone marrow. Our specialized transplant teams strive to deliver personalized service to our patients and their families in a caring environment. We hope to deliver care we would want for ourselves and our families.
At Henry Ford, we search for new treatments to help patients delay or avoid transplant, we work to advance technology to make transplants safer for patients and for living donors, and we look for new ways to provide transplantation to patients who cannot be helped by other centers.
As pioneers in the field, our certified multi-organ Transplant Institute carries special recognition:
Heart Transplant
Since 1985, Henry Ford has provided heart transplants for adults and children. As the only comprehensive heart failure, transplantation, and rehabilitation program in metropolitan Detroit, Henry Ford cares for some of the most complex patients in the region. Our highly experienced surgical team was the first in Michigan and among the first in the United States to implant the HeartMate® Left Ventricular Assist System. This device is used to help maintain the pumping ability of the heart for people awaiting transplantation. Today, we continue to be a leader in the use of left ventricular assist devices as a bridge to transplantation, or as destination therapy for those who do not meet transplantation criteria.
Lung Transplant
Since the first lung transplant in Detroit was performed at Henry Ford Hospital in 1994, our team has continued to be a leader in lung transplantation. We were among the nation's first to perform lung volume reduction surgery and to provide both single- and double-lung transplants along with options to remove portions of diseased lung.
Liver Transplant
The Henry Ford Liver Transplant Program is one of the premier liver programs in the United States. With some of the most highly respected surgeons and clinicians in the field, Henry Ford is among a handful of institutions performing both deceased- and living-donor adult liver transplantation. We pioneered split liver and adult-to-adult living-donor liver transplantation in Michigan and continue to perform the highest volume of liver transplants in the state. In 2008, we began providing laparoscopic surgery to living liver donors, the only program in Michigan and one of few in the United States.
Kidney and/or Pancreas Transplant
Henry Ford is a leader in kidney transplantation, performing both deceased- and living-donor transplants, as well as simultaneous kidney/pancreas or pancreas-only transplants. Our experienced transplant surgeons utilize innovative procedures to extend the lives of people with irreversible kidney failure who, without a transplant, would be dependent on dialysis.
Intestine and Multivisceral Transplant
Intestine transplant is a viable option for people with chronic conditions of the small bowel and those dependent on total parenteral nutrition (TPN).
The Henry Ford Transplant Institute is the first and only center in Michigan performing transplantation of the intestine.
Surgeons at the Henry Ford Transplant Institute are experienced in performing the full array of intestine transplant procedures. For candidates needing transplantation of the intestine along with additional abdominal organs, our highly recognized liver and pancreas programs allow us to offer multivisceral transplants.
Over the last decade, outcomes have greatly improved due to advancements in surgical techniques and antirejection therapies, and reductions in postsurgical infection rates.
Bone Marrow Stem Cell Transplant
Nationally certified for providing an exceptional level of patient care, Henry Ford has been performing bone marrow transplants since 1988. Henry Ford carries the expertise to perform some of the most complex stem cell transplants in the country and performed Michigan's first peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.
Each organ transplant team at Henry Ford uses advanced minimally invasive and robotic surgical technology for living donors and transplant patients when appropriate. What that means is that, where appropriate, surgeons are using robots and keyhole-sized incisions for these surgeries, making recovery much easier. Patients also may be eligible for the clinical trials available, including new medications to help patients' prolong the need for organ transplant, as well as new medications to improve outcomes after transplantation by aiming to reduce infection and organ rejection.
