Geisinger to offer kidney transplant services in State College

DANVILLE- Residents from Centre county will now have access to Geisinger’s quality transplant program in State College. The transplant team at Geisinger Medical Center, in Danville, announced that pre and post-operative services will be available at Geisinger Medical Group – Scenery Park, 200 Scenery Drive, State College, PA.

"This signifies a landmark moment in kidney transplant care for the people of Western Pennsylvania," said Chintalapati Varma, MD, Director of Transplant Services at Geisinger Medical Center. "By offering this service in State College, patients will be able to list with Geisinger’s wait list within the Gift of Life Donor Program, a UNOS-certified organ procurement organization. They won’t have to give up their existing registry, but will benefit from having their name on two registries, increasing their chances of finding a suitable donor."

Geisinger is one of only a few transplant centers in the United States using tolerogenic immunosuppression — a unique approach that limits the amount of steroid medications needed to take following a transplant surgery.

"By offering transplant care in State College, patients will be able to receive pre and post-op care closer to home, which is an added value in recovery," Dr. Varma added. "It is yet another way Geisinger is showing its commitment of expansion of specialty services in Centre County."
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