Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile: New UC CHRISTUS Transplant Institute was inaugurated with an emotional ceremony

In the 1970s, the UC School of Medicine and the Clinical Hospital were pioneers in Chile in kidney transplants. From those beginnings until today, a long way has been traveled, full of learning, experience, innovation and commitment, which allows to open this center whose objective is to put the patient at the center of care, giving him a place where he feels welcomed and welcome in your vulnerability, and where you will find a human and professional group with the best tools to save your life.

The inauguration ceremony of the UC CHRISTUS Transplant Institute was led by the rector of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Dr. Ignacio Sánchez; accompanied by the dean of the UC School of Medicine, Dr. Felipe Heusser; the general manager of UC CHRISTUS, Alejandro Canavati; UC CHRISTUS Medical Director; Dr. Jaime Santander; the director of the Institute of Transplants, Dr. Martín Dib and the national coordinator of donation, procurement and transplantation, Dr. Juan Eduardo Sánchez. Transplant patients and living liver donors also attended.

As explained by Dr. Martín Dib, director of the Transplant Institute, it is a great achievement to have physical dependencies for the transplant program, which in recent years has been taking more and more shape with the development of increasingly complex techniques. “Due to the multidisciplinary management of transplants, this space was necessary, where the different programs will be able to learn from each other, with a focus on the care and experience of the patient, in order to achieve in this way that pre and post transplant evaluations are as expeditious as possible. Instead of the patient going to different places for the multidisciplinary evaluation, we go where the patient is, understanding their needs and putting ourselves at the service of their well-being ”, said the doctor.

“Instead of the patient going to different places for the multidisciplinary evaluation, we go where the patient is, understanding their needs and putting ourselves at the service of their well-being” – Martín Dib, director of the Transplant Institute

Although the national coordinator of donation, procurement and transplantation, Dr. Juan Eduardo Sánchez, highlighted the need to establish a cultural change on the subject of organ processing, he highlighted the creation of the new institute, ensuring that “ having a place with the integration of multiple specialties, it seems to me that, from the patients’ point of view, is an issue that is clearly a benefit for them ”.

In this regard, the UC CHRISTUS medical director, Dr. Jaime Santander, affirmed that this space will organize and give visibility to the work “that we have been developing for 50 years and will host a clinical group that in our country has clear leadership, built with decades of work, inspired by bringing the best medicine to our patients and ultimately to Chile ”.

“This space will organize and give visibility to the work that we have been developing for 50 years and will host a clinical group that in our country has clear leadership, built with decades of work, inspired by bringing the best medicine to our patients and ultimately to Chile ”- Jaime Santander, UC CHRISTUS Medical Director

Dean Dr. Felipe Heusser, Dean of the UC School of Medicine, emphasized innovation and research in transplantation, which has allowed impressive numbers: to date these teams have performed more than 1,300 solid organ transplants, heart, kidney, liver and pancreas, “thus marking a milestone in health in the country. Last year 72 transplants were carried out, making UC CHRISTUS the number one transplant institution in the country ” .

In his speech, the rector of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Dr. Ignacio Sánchez, thanked the efforts of all the professionals who have worked in the transplant program and highlighted the importance of teamwork in this area of ​​medicine. “More than a hundred doctors, nurses from different specialties, technicians, perfusionists, support teams work here. The truth is that behind a transplant there is so much teamwork that common projects need complementary views and you are doing that, ”he said.

“Behind a transplant there is so much teamwork, that common projects need complementary views and you are carrying out that” – Ignacio Sánchez, rector

Later, the facilities were blessed and the authorities cut the ribbon. Then, they toured the Institute, where all the programs that perform transplants at UC CHRISTUS will have an agenda and which has a reception and cash desk, a nursing station, (where all the coordinating nurses of the transplant programs are located), two boxes multidisciplinary care and medical and nursing leadership offices.