Transplant Institute reaches significant milestone: Team completes 5,000th kidney transplant

Loma Linda University Health's Transplant Institute reached a major milestone on July 1, 2026 completing its 5,000th kidney transplant. Since performing its first kidney transplant in April 1967, the institute has provided compassionate, expert care to thousands of patients with end-stage kidney disease. The landmark procedure was performed by Minh-Tri Nguyen, MD, PhD.

"It is a tremendous privilege that 5,000 patients with kidney failure entrusted our transplant program with their care with the objectives of getting them off dialysis and improving their quality of life," said Nguyen. "I am grateful to be part of this significant milestone for the Loma Linda University Transplant Institute."

"Reaching this 5,000th transplant milestone demonstrates Loma Linda University Health's institutional commitment to the health, vitality and lifestyle of our community," added Charles Bratton, MD, Transplant Institute Surgical Director for the Kidney, Pancreas and Living Donor Transplant Programs.

The journey to this milestone began in April 1967 with a donated kidney and a 38-year-old patient whose life depended on a transplant. Paul Anderson had spent three months hospitalized with kidney failure when Louis Smith, MD, received an unexpected call from a physician at a Riverside hospital offering a potential donor kidney.

That phone call set in motion a carefully coordinated effort involving surgical teams in Riverside and Loma Linda, as well as a California Highway Patrol escort that transported the donor kidney down the Riverside Freeway at speeds exceeding 100 mph. The transplant was successful, giving Anderson a second chance at life and ushering in a new era for the Inland Empire, where patients could receive lifesaving transplant care close to home at a world-class academic medical center.

"Thousands of lives have been impacted since the early days of our transplant efforts," said Michael de Vera, MD, Director of the LLUH Transplant Institute. "We have an outstanding team dedicated to supporting our patients, navigating the challenges of kidney disease, and helping ensure success at every step of their journey toward transplant surgery and beyond."

Nearly six decades later, advances in medical technology, refined surgical techniques, and more effective anti-rejection medications have transformed kidney transplantation, leading to improved patient outcomes and longer-lasting transplant success.

"Our Transplant Institute's multidisciplinary team ensures that LLUH's commitment to whole person care is carried out on a daily basis," said Rafael Villicana, MD, Transplant Institute Medical Director for the Kidney, Pancreas and Living Donor Transplant Programs.

The Transplant Institute serves as the centralized home for transplant services and is one of Loma Linda University Health's signature programs. Performing around 250 kidney transplants annually, the Institute is supported by a multidisciplinary team of transplant surgeons, transplant nephrologists, advanced practice providers, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, dietitians, financial coordinators, transplant coordinators, and other specialized professionals who provide seamless, comprehensive care throughout every stage of the transplant journey.

"Organ donation is the most altruistic gift that one can give to another human being," said Nguyen. "Without the generous and humanitarian decision of individuals and their families to register and consent to organ donation, saving countless lives through transplantation would not be possible. May God bless all our selfless organ donors."

Despite this milestone, the need for donor kidneys continues to grow. In late July, more than 1,700 patients were waiting for a kidney transplant through the Loma Linda University Health Transplant Institute, while approximately 100,000 patients nationwide were awaiting a kidney transplant. Many rely on dialysis-a physically and emotionally demanding treatment-as they wait for a life-saving donor organ.

Although the wait for a donor kidney can span several years, Nguyen encourages patients to remain hopeful.

"Although the wait time is often many years, there is a light at the end of the tunnel," he said. "It is important to keep a positive attitude and maintain a good functional status. Talk with your family, friends and community about your situation. They can provide good moral support and often will want to help you via living kidney donation."

Bratton said living donors continue to inspire the Transplant Institute team every day.

"Every week we see people who wish nothing for themselves, but come into our clinic selflessly," Bratton said. "They're wives and husbands, friends and neighbors, sons and daughters who just want to give a kidney so that their loved one, their friend, their neighbor, and sometimes a person they've never met can live longer and live better. It's an amazing act of generosity that keeps us in the Transplant Institute passionate about what we do."

For nearly six decades, every kidney transplant has represented far more than a medical achievement. Each transplant has offered hope, renewed possibilities, and a second chance at life while reflecting the extraordinary generosity of organ donors and their families. As Loma Linda University Health's Transplant Institute celebrates this milestone, its commitment remains focused on advancing transplant care, supporting patients and families, and honoring the donors whose selfless gifts make every transplant possible.

More information about kidney transplantation and the Loma Linda University Health Transplant Institute is available on the Loma Linda University Health website. Individuals interested in becoming living kidney donors can learn more and submit an application online.