The Duke Living Donor Kidney Transplant Program has expanded, adding experienced physicians and surgeons, including its new surgical director, Meera Gupta, MD, MSCE. With more providers and leadership, Duke Health can offer living direct and paired donation to more kidney recipients on a faster timeline, possibly eliminating the need for dialysis, which further improves outcomes.

“With living donation, waiting times can be extremely short,” Gupta says. “Patients can actually receive a transplant without having to start dialysis, avoiding the chronicity of end-stage kidney disease impacting their health and well-being. It’s incredibly rewarding: These patients’ quality of life increases dramatically with a high-functioning kidney that will last longer than one from a deceased donor.”

In addition to abdominal organ transplant, Gupta brings experience in dialysis access, and general and hepatobiliary surgery, specifically for benign and malignant liver disease as well as biliary pathology and managing biliary complications after cholecystectomy.

Alongside medical director Gayle Vranic, MD, Gupta has helped to grow the living kidney donation program, increasing patients’ access. “We’ve revolutionized the way we evaluate living donors from a medical standpoint,” Gupta says. “From a surgical standpoint, we’ve reevaluated donors who have modifiable risk factors for living donation, working with them, educating them, and helping them meet the criteria for safe and successful donation.”

Gupta highlights the experienced team, including Vranic and living donor coordinators. “I think Duke’s living donor kidney transplant program is the best program there is. Patients receive specialized, personalized care from all members of our multidisciplinary team. Every living donor and recipient becomes part of our family. Living donation is such a profound act of kindness, and being part of their journey is truly special.”

Gupta recommends referral early in end-stage kidney disease: “Whenever a patient with chronic kidney disease experiences a declining GFR [glomerular filtration rate] to 20 or below, they should be referred to us for evaluation. At the time of evaluation, we discuss options for transplant including potential living donors. Patients need to know that they can avoid the waitlist and dialysis entirely with a living donor.”

Gupta recognizes the role referring providers play in preparing patients for a potential transplant. “The job of a referring provider is incredibly important. They’ve built that relationship and rapport with the patient. It’s important for providers to offer a sense of hope and real solutions through kidney transplantation here at Duke.”