Dr. Christina Papageorge was appointed Living Donor Kidney Surgical Director on May 31, 2023. She will join forces with Medical Director, Dr. Angie Nishio-Lucar.
Their team will be responsible for evaluating potential donors and ensuring positive outcomes for patients. The program currently completes around 35-40 living donor kidney transplants per year, and one of Dr. Papageorge’s primary goals is to increase the volume and accessibility of donations through patient education. She is spearheading initiatives to address biases and misconceptions surrounding living donation and to increase awareness of Kidney Paired Donation (KPD). Kidney Paired Donation is a program that allows incompatible kidney donors and recipients to exchange organs with other pairs, increasing the chances of finding a suitable match and facilitating more kidney transplants.
Discussing the motivations behind organ donation, Dr. Papageorge highlighted the diverse range of reasons prompting individuals to donate. While many donors give selflessly to family members or friends, oftentimes cases emerge where an acquaintance or a neighbor comes forward after seeing a post on social media. A smaller, yet significant, group also engages in non-directed donations, generously donating a kidney to candidates on the waitlist.
Dr. Papageorge expressed her enthusiasm for the role, her collaboration with Dr. Nishio-Lucar, and the potential to grow the program, increase donations, and provide exceptional patient care.