President, Cleveland Clinic Weston
“Achieving this milestone shows the tremendous need for organ transplantation services in South Florida and the region,” said Rodolfo J. Blandon, MD, MBA, President of Cleveland Clinic’s Weston Hospital. “Since the inception of our transplant program, we have had an outstanding team that continues to provide highly specialized care to patients with complex medical conditions. I am proud of the work that they continue to do.”
Clark was diagnosed with diabetes when he was in his early 20s and began dialysis in 2015 when his kidney function deteriorated. He was first evaluated for a kidney transplant in 2019 but was advised to lose weight. After losing weight, he was re-evaluated and successfully listed for a kidney transplant. He credits the transplant team with continual follow-up while on the waitlist that led to a successful transplant.
Cleveland Clinic’s Weston Hospital received approval from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to perform adult liver and kidney transplants in 2013 and adult heart transplants in 2014. In addition to 1,000 kidney transplants, the center has completed 375 liver and 198 heart transplantations to date. This year, the Weston hospital also began performing living donor liver transplants.
“Our transplant team has worked tirelessly to achieve exceptional results on behalf of our patients,” said Antonio Pinna, MD, Director of the Abdominal Transplantation Center at Cleveland Clinic Weston. “Their dedication and commitment to excellence is directly attributable to our program’s success.”
Following his successful kidney transplant surgery, Clark is continuing to recover. The former truck driver says he most looks forward to returning to work which he has not been able to do since beginning dialysis treatment in 2015.
According to the UNOS nationwide more than 112,000 people are waiting for an organ, and on average 17 people die each day while waiting for a transplant. The average length of time for a patient on the kidney transplant waiting list to receive a deceased donor kidney is five years.
Cleveland Clinic Weston, part of Cleveland Clinic’s Florida region, is a nonprofit, multi-specialty, academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. With locations in Weston, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Parkland, West Palm Beach, Wellington, and Palm Beach Gardens, Cleveland Clinic Weston has more than 250 physicians with expertise in 55 specialties. The medical campus is fully integrated and includes diagnostic centers, outpatient surgery and a 24-hour emergency department located in the state-of-the-art hospital. Cleveland Clinic’s Florida region now includes Cleveland Clinic Indian River and Cleveland Clinic Martin Health and has hospitals and outpatient centers in Broward, Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie Counties. The Florida region is an integral part of Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where providing outstanding patient care is based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Physicians at Cleveland Clinic are experts in the treatment of complex conditions that are difficult to diagnose. For more information about Cleveland Clinic Florida, visit www.clevelandclinicflorida.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
