The South Texas Transplant Center's convenient location means that Rio Grande Valley patients don't have to travel hundreds of miles for presurgery evaluations, transplant surgery and post-transplant care. Doctors at the center evaluate patients and potential donors by taking medical histories, performing physical exams and ordering laboratory tests to determine compatibility.

Surgeons use advanced techniques and technology to remove and transplant kidneys. The South Texas Transplant Center also offers advanced dialysis services, immunosuppressant therapies and transplant biopsies.

"It's been a huge success," says Robert Tamez, Assistant Administrator at McAllen Medical Center. "We've received more than double the number of referrals we expected."

Kidneys from live donors last even longer than those from cadaver donors. About half the transplants performed at McAllen Medical Center use kidneys from live donors, usually family members or friends who generously donate kidneys to help loved ones.

"Patients with kidney transplants live about twice as long as those who receive dialysis treatments," says Jose Farias-Jimenez, MD, transplant surgeon at The South Texas Transplant Center. "They feel better, don't have to rely on dialysis and enjoy more normal lives."