Behind one of Miami Transplant Institute’s (MTI) many medical breakthroughs is a love story.
Astrid Deitado had promised to donate her kidney to her ailing husband, Michael. Meanwhile, Enrique Gonzalez Abarca had made the same vow to save his wife, Fabiana Castro Troya. But this ultimate act of love was not meant to be — neither spouse was a compatible match for their partner.
Fortunately, through MTI’s paired kidney exchange program, hope was renewed. Doctors discovered that Enrique’s kidney was a match for Astrid’s husband, and Astrid’s kidney was perfect for Fabiana.
The transplant team performed the two-way paired kidney exchange robotically — the fi rst time this advanced method had been used for such a procedure at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Another innovative milestone for MTI. And a new chance at life for two couples united by love, generosity and hope.
“Minimally invasive robotic surgery brings many advantages to the recipient and donor. It increases precision, decreases the level of complications and speeds up recovery,” said Rodrigo Vianna, MD, PhD, MTI’s director of transplant services and chief of liver, intestinal, and multivisceral transplant. It was also the fi rst time a multidisciplinary team led by Vianna and Phillipe Abreu, MD, an abdominal transplant and robotic surgeon, performed a fully robotic dual transplant procedure.
IMPROVED OUTCOMES THROUGH INNOVATION
The quest to transform adult and pediatric transplantation through innovation extends to heart, intestinal, liver, lung, kidney/kidney pancreas and multivisceral transplants, where MTI is an international leader for transplanting multiple organs simultaneously.
Patients with advanced tumors, portal vein thrombosis, and other complications, are referred to MTI for high-risk, multi-organ transplants.
“We have pioneered multivisceral transplants for patients with portal mesentery thrombosis. We not only transplant the liver, but we also do a venous transplant,” Dr. Vianna said. “It is the only operation that can reestablish the physiology of the abdomen.”
Ostomy-free intestinal transplants were also pioneered at MTI. Dr. Vianna notes that his patients’ recovery times and overall quality of life improved exponentially once he introduced this approach.
Innovations in lung transplantation include the use of advanced extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support within a specialized lung failure unit and leading-edge technology for improved donor organ preservation.
The heart transplant team is part of a study to develop a device that changes the size of the heart to stop the progression of heart disease. Together with the lung transplant team, they are involved in a clinical study to help patients with advanced heart failure.
IMPROVED OUTCOMES THROUGH ACCESS
Technology has improved the viability of donor organs, and patients in South Florida can now accept organs from further away, reducing their wait times. The lung and heart transplant programs are early adopters in organ preservation technology.
Dr. Vianna said his entire team continues to innovate and explore new frontiers to expand eligibility for patients, reduce wait times, and improve outcomes.
We wake up in the morning thinking about transplantation. We go to bed thinking about transplantation. We never stop thinking about how we can help our patients. Our philosophy is that nobody should die waiting. — Rodrigo Vianna, MD
AMONG OUR CAPABILITIES
- Robotic-assisted kidney and kidney/pancreas transplants
- The nation’s leading multivisceral program with ostomy-free intestinal transplants
- Transplant oncology for liver cancer
- Advanced organ perfusion technology to improve organ viability
- First in the U.S. to use the FDA-approved X Port Lung Preservation System
- Complex care for heart and liver failure
- Coordinated multidisciplinary care for high-risk patients
- One of the largest pediatric transplant programs in the nation
At Miami Transplant Institute, excellence in transplantation has defined us for more than 50 years. As one of the nation’s top programs and a leader in intestinal, multivisceral, liver, kidney, and pancreas transplants, with some of the nation’s highest survival rates, MTI continues to set new standards in innovation and outcomes. Building on that legacy, we’re advancing a new frontier, where transplants and cancer care come together to offer lifesaving options once thought impossible. Through our pioneering transplant oncology program, patients with liver and biliary cancers can now access surgical treatments previously beyond reach. Every day, our teams are giving patients not just more time, but a second chance at life. Learn more about our innovations and treatment options at MiamiTransplantInnovation.org.