Transplant Surgeons of UC Health and Their Patients
The life of a person waiting for an organ transplant is filled with a lot of questions, fear and uncertainty.
What if I never get the call?
What will life be like post-transplant?
How will this affect my family?
How long will I wait?
It can be a difficult and dark time in a person’s life. These are patients who are extremely ill and don’t know the definitive outcome or timeline of when that will change. It can cause some to either lean heavily into their faith or to seriously question it.
From the transplantation perspective, we see first-hand, the highs and lows that patients and their families experience. We cheer for them as they overcome what seems like impossible odds, provide support when they don’t feel strong enough to stand on their own. We get the opportunity to make the “the call” that an organ has become available and also have the unfortunate task of having to sometimes explain that for unforeseen circumstances, the transplant cannot proceed.
There are many people playing important roles, including nurses, administrators, therapists, social workers, organ & tissue procurement organization staff, transplant surgeons and everyone else in between who make donation possible.
Thanks to the efforts from the transplant surgeons at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center as well as transplant surgeons across the world and the individuals who designated themselves donors or whose families courageously said “yes”, countless lives have been transformed because of the second chance they received through the gift of life.
“Transplant surgery can cause one of the most dramatic differences to people’s lives. Transplant patients are amongst the most grateful patients. That is a very powerful motivating factor for health care providers. Donation is one of the most powerful means that people have to give to improve the lives of others.”
– E. Steve Woodle, M.D., Transplant Surgeon and Liver Transplant Recipient.
E. Steve Woodle, M.D., F.A.C.S.
William A. Altemeier Chair in Surgery
Professor of Surgery
Director, Division of Transplantation
Director, Israel Penn International Transplant Tumor Registry
Shimul A. Shah, MD, MHCM
Director, Liver Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery
Associate Professor of Surgery
University of Cincinnati
Vernon Carter
Patient of Dr. Shah’s, Liver Recipient
Tayyab S. Diwan, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Director, Pancreas Transplant Program
Director, Transplant Surgery Fellowship
Parshawna Johnson
Patient of Dr. Diwan’s, Kidney Recipient
Madison C. Cuffy, M.D., M.B.A.
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Stephon Forester
Patient of Dr. Cuffy’s, Kidney Recipient
Flavio Paterno, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Leslie Pettus
Patient of Dr. Paterno’s, Liver Recipient