Annals of surgery
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A large, comprehensive renal transplant program has a major impact not only on patient care, but also on the medical center itself and the larger community. The program at this center has advanced from 15 transplants in 1964 to 141 transplants in 1976. Fifty-nine per cent of patients transplanted have functioning kidneys at this time, including 76 children. ⋯ The vast clinical material has been a great asset for training transplant surgeons, nephrologists, fellows and residents of multiple specialties, and medical students. The medical center's relationship with communities within a 250 mile radius has been strengthened, as reflected in patient referrals and the development of a multi-community-supported organ procurement system, which has allowed us to perform over 100 cadaver transplants per year for the past three years. Thus the performance of 1,000 renal transplants at this center has resulted not only in rehabilitation of many renal failure patients, but also in expanded and improved research and teaching capabilities, bringing support from multiple medical disciplines and the general community.