Pediatric Transplant Care
At N.C. Children’s Hospital, we are sensitive to the emotional and physical needs of children with serious injuries and illness, especially those who require life-saving organ transplants. Using a blend of medical expertise, empathy, and compassion, your child’s multidisciplinary team will provide expert medical care while also making certain you and your family receive the appropriate support throughout this stressful journey.
You’ll know that your child is getting the best transplant care at N.C. Children’s Hospital, because UNC is a Medicare Certified Transplant Center and a national Center of Excellence (COE) for many commercial insurance plans. Learn more about transplant care at UNC Medical Center.
Our Program
Since performing our first kidney transplant nearly 50 years ago, UNC’s transplant program has become one of the largest in the Southeast. In addition, the N.C. Children’s Hospital is one of the only hospital in the Southeast that performs kidney transplants involving living donors.
Transplant Procedures We Offer
Our specialists perform procedures for the transplantation of the following in children:
Your Transplant Team
Your child’s dedicated transplantation team includes:
- Transplant surgeons and pediatric anesthesiologists
- Physicians and nurses with specialized training in caring for pediatric transplant patients, including pediatric critical care doctors and nurses
- Nurse practitioners
- Transplant nurse coordinators
- Clinical pharmacists
- Social workers
- Rehabilitation specialists, including physical therapists
- Pediatric psychologists
We also provide the full spectrum of services available to families at N.C. Children’s Hospital. These include Hospital School teachers, mental health resources, physical therapists, child-life specialists (including music therapists), a pediatric chaplain, and more.
Guiding You through the Process
During the transplant process, you’ll be faced with an array of questions and concerns, and we encourage you to take advantage of the resources we have in place to help you on this journey. Social Workers, Psychologists, and Transplant Financial Counselors are available to work with family members worried about the challenges to come, whether care-related or financial.
In addition, our medical professionals take special care to answer your questions in simple, honest language that can help you better understand every part of your child’s transplant process, from pre-transplant care to the special challenges you’ll navigate after the transplant and ongoing care. We will continue to work with you and your child’s referring physician to ease the transition home from Chapel Hill and beyond.
