After years of preparation and lobbying, state regulators approved a kidney transplant program at Carilion Clinic’s hospital in Roanoke.
It will be the first transplant program in Southwest Virginia.
Doctor David Salzberg, the lead surgeon for the program, said it will help address the high rate of renal failure in that part of the state and make it easier for patients to get care close to home.
“All of us have gotten the congratulations emails," Salzberg told reporters Thursday. "The best ones are the ones from the patients that say ‘I’m ready. I need a transplant. How do I sign up?’ And those are the ones that hit you.”
Carilion still needs to be approved as a transplant center by the United Network for Organ Sharing.
The health care provider expects to begin transplant procedures in 2026. Salzberg said the team of surgeons and support personnel are already being hired.
Currently, patients in need of kidney transplants have to travel to Charlottesville, Richmond or other locations in eastern and northern Virginia. Salzberg said it's important to now have that service in the patient's front yard.
“It’s not just the full tank of gas that it costs and time off from work. It means a number of things. It means them being able to continue their care without interruption," Salzberg said. "It means for example that they can continue dialysis without missing a day. It means they don’t have to inconvenience legions of people from their families and friends or their job.”
About 2,300 Virginia residents are currently on the state's waiting list for kidneys. Salzberg hopes the new program encourages more living donors to step forward.
“It’s hard to encourage a donor from a distance." he said. "But when you see it happen right in your backyard, absolutely.”
