"Reduced-size transplants have been around for a long time, and there are circumstances in which they are appropriate and necessary, but they don't expand the donor pool. What we want to do is employ those techniques that will expand the donor pool and offer more options for recipient candidates so they can be transplanted in a timely fashion."

Dr. Shackleton said Cedars-Sinai is pursuing the development of another new procedure-- called laparoscopic living-donor nephrectomy-- that is likely to increase the number of living donor kidney transplants by allowing a family member to donate a kidney to a relative without the long incisions and long-term recovery required after major surgery.

"This is a video-assisted, minimally invasive procedure that can be performed through a couple of puncture wounds and mini-incisions," he said. "It offers much shorter hospitalization time, much reduced need for pain medication, a significant reduction in the need for blood products in the perioperative period, much faster return to work and, most importantly, a greater willingness on the part of individuals to consider living donation. It is another incremental advance that should help to close the gap between recipient need and donor-organ supply in kidney transplantation."

Dr. Shackleton has authored more than 160 scientific papers and abstracts. He received his medical degree from the University of British Columbia, completed his residency and fellowship at the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia and Harvard Medical School. He earned certification in internal medicine and nephrology before embarking on his surgical career. Following his general surgical residency, he completed training in transplantation surgery and biology as well as vascular surgery.

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Contact: Sandra Van
Sandy@VanCommunications.com
1-800-396-1002
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
27-Aug-1999