Ochsner Transplant Institute

• No. 1 liver transplant program in the country
• Only pediatric heart transplant program in Louisiana
• Only living donor liver transplant program in Louisiana
• Medicare-approved transplant center for heart, liver, lung and kidney transplants
• Center of Excellence designation for most insurers
• Performed the first heart, kidney and liver transplants in the state in 1970, 1973 and 1984, respectively.
• The Ochsner Kidney Transplant Program has earned ELITE status from INTERLINK COE Networks & Programs, a distinction achieved by demonstrating superior outcomes and ranking among the nation’s best transplant centers.
• The Ochsner lung transplant team has completed over 500 lung transplants
• The Ochsner Transplant Institute offers robotic-assisted kidney transplantation, an advanced surgical option designed to improve outcomes for patients
• The Ochsner Transplant Institute is proud to feature a fully operational organ pumping center, a specialized system designed to keep donor organs alive and functioning outside the body prior to transplantation. This advanced technology helps optimize organ health and improve outcomes for transplant patients

The Ochsner Transplant Institute emphasizes teamwork through its patient-transplant team covenant, where both patients and caregivers pledge to engage in respectful, truthful and collaborative relationships, ensuring the highest standards of care.

Shorter wait times and comprehensive care

At the Ochsner Transplant Institute your care revolves around your needs. We’ve created a streamlined process to minimize wait times, surgery durations, and hospital stays, enabling faster recoveries and better outcomes. Patients benefit from some of the shortest wait times for organ transplants nationally. Our one-day evaluation clinic helps accelerate the process of getting on the transplant waitlist. Once you're a patient, you’ll work with a dedicated transplant coordinator, ensuring seamless care every step of the way—before, during and after your procedure.

Successful outcomes

At Ochsner, our mission is to help patients live longer, healthier lives with fewer complications. By integrating advanced technology with innovative procedures, we maximize the potential for successful outcomes. Our transplant program stands as a testament to our expertise, with success and survival rates that consistently exceed national averages, giving patients and their families the confidence and reassurance they deserve.

Support for patients and families

Each patient is assigned a transplant coordinator who serves as the main contact person through each stage of treatment – before, during and after transplant. The patient experience begins with the one-day clinic where the patient sees everyone they need to see on the same day, eliminating the need for multiple visits.

Ochsner offers a variety of transplant programs such as:

• Liver transplant
• Pediatric liver transplant
• Kidney and kidney-pancreas transplant
• Lung transplant
• Heart transplant
• Pediatric heart transplant
• Living donor liver transplant
• Living donor kidney transplant

Benefits of Ochsner's Living Donor Programs

Choosing our living donor liver transplant program or our living donor kidney transplant program offers significant advantages, including reduced wait times and better match compatibility.

Referrals

To refer a patient to the Ochsner Transplant Institute or to learn more about the program, please contact us in one of the following ways:

Phone: 504-842-3925

Email:

• refliver@Ochsner.org
• KidneyTransplant@Ochsner.org
• ReferLungTransplant@ochsner.org
• hearttransplant@ochsner.org

Fax:

• Lung transplant - 504-842-6627
• Liver transplant- 504-703-2310
• Kidney transplant - 504-842-3343

Second opinions

If you’ve been turned down for an organ transplant or seek reassurance that your diagnosis is correct and you’re getting the right care, the next step may be a second opinion.

Call 504-842-3925 to make an appointment today.

We understand that transplants don’t just affect the patient. That’s why we offer resources to support families throughout the process:

Support groups

The transplant social workers lead several support groups to assist and educate patients and families with various transplant issues. These support groups meet at Ochsner Medical Center - New Orleans on Jefferson Highway.

For more information on support groups and meeting dates, contact our social workers at 504-842-3925.

The Brent House Hotel

On-site lodging is available at the Brent House Hotel, our full-service hotel located on the Ochsner Medical Center campus. For reservations or information call 1-800-535-3986 or visit the Brent House Hotel website.

Interpreter services

Interpreter services are available for all languages, including American Sign Language for the deaf or hard of hearing, for all aspects of your care and treatment with us, at no charge to the patient. These services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The interpreter may be a face-to-face interpreter, an over-the-phone interpreter or a video remote interpreter. During all other times, the hospital phone operators act as a liaison to access interpreter services.

For more information on interpreter services, call (504) 842-1717 or e-mail languageservices@ochsner.org.

Prescription Assistance Programs (PAPs)

We offer assistance with prescription costs through pharmaceutical programs. Talk to your social worker or transplant coordinator right away if you are struggling to keep up with your medicine costs. Some pharmaceutical companies have programs that may help pay for medicines for people who qualify and are underinsured or uninsured.

Organ transplants can be financially overwhelming. We’re committed to making this process as accessible as possible. It's important to have a financial plan in place to cover all the costs associated with your transplant. These costs include:

• Medicines, medical visits, tests and procedures you need before and after transplant
• Care you need before and after transplant
• Insurance deductibles and co-pays
• Travel, food and housing before, during and after transplant for you and your caregiver

The Ochsner Transplant Institute accepts most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. You'll get to meet with one of Ochsner's transplant financial coordinators to review what your insurance plan covers. Once you're financially cleared by your coordinator, the transplant team will reach out to start your transplant evaluation process.

The list of organs and tissue that can be donated are constantly growing. The list include kidney, lung, liver, pancreas, heart, intestines, corneas, bone marrow, cord blood stem cells, peripheral blood stem cells, blood and platelets. Tissues can be used for burns, to replace veins and repair damaged tissue and cartilage. Face and hands have recently been added to the list of organ donations.

Learn more on how to register locally and nationally.

People of all ages and medical histories can be a potential donor. Senior citizens in their 90s have been organ donors, and in 2019, 1 out of every 3 people who donated organs was over the age of 50. Your medical condition at the time of death will determine what organs and tissue can be donated.

Most organ donation occur after the donor has died. However, some organs can be donated as a living donor. At Ochsner Health, we have a living donor liver transplant program and a living donor kidney transplant program. A registered donor can save up to nine lives.

Learn more about being a living and a deceased donor.

There are several factors used to match organs with patients in need. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has policies and computerized networks that align transplant candidates with donated organs in ways that save as many lives as possible, along with providing patients with the best chance of long-term wellness. Things like income, insurance or celebrity play absolutely no role in who is prioritized for transplant.

If you are sick or injured and admitted to the hospital, the number one priority is to save your life. Organ donation can only be considered after brain death has been declared by a physician. Many states have adopted legislation allowing individuals to legally designate their wish to be a donor should brain death occur, although in many states organ procurement organizations also require consent from the donor's family.

All major organized religions approve of organ and tissue donation and consider it an act of charity. The U.S. Government Information on Organ Donation and Transplantation has actually compiled a list of official statements and policies released by religious leaders which you can find here. If you are unsure or uncomfortable though, contact someone at the clergy within your church or place of worship for a consultation.

The safety of the COVID-19 vaccine is still being studied in people who have received kidney, liver, pancreas, heart and lung transplants. However, current data from COVID-19 vaccine trials that have been released supports the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. Transplant patients are at higher risk for developing a severe case of COVID-19 due to immunosuppression, which is a partial or complete suppression of a person’s immune system. The benefits of vaccination greatly outweigh the risks of not being immunized. We encourage all transplant patients to speak with their doctor before deciding whether the vaccine is right for them.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have 94.1%-95% efficacy in preventing COVID-19 in people with a normal immune system response. Studies still must be conducted among organ transplant patients to determine the effectiveness. It is possible transplant patients may have a lower antibody response than people without transplants.

Transplant candidates should get the vaccine while waiting for transplantation. The candidate should receive both doses at least two weeks before transplantation if possible. If the patient is unable, it is recommended to get the vaccine two to six months after transplantation. If a candidate received a transplant after their first dose, patients should wait to receive the second dose four weeks after transplantation.