UCHealth Marks 10,000 Transplants Over Six Decades

Pioneering patient care and surgical innovation transform transplant medicine

Mar. 13, 2026 at 6:22pm

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UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital has completed over 10,000 transplant surgeries since 1962, including landmark procedures like the world's first liver transplant in 1963. Advances in technology and surgical techniques have made transplants less invasive and recovery times shorter for both recipients and living donors.

Why it matters

Transplant medicine has come a long way in the past 60 years, from experimental and risky procedures to safer, less invasive options that are more accessible to patients. UCHealth's pioneering work has played a key role in these advancements, helping to save thousands of lives.

The details

UCHealth has performed over 10,000 transplants since 1962, including 1,000 lung, 1,000 heart, 5,000 kidney, and 3,000 liver transplants. Procedures that were once highly invasive are now minimally invasive, with smaller incisions and faster recovery times. The introduction of robotic-assisted transplant surgery in the last 5 years has further improved the experience for both donors and recipients.

  • UCHealth performed the world's first liver transplant in 1963.
  • The transplant program expanded in the 1980s and 1990s with the first heart (1986), lung (1992), and pancreas (1995) transplants.
  • Robotic-assisted transplant surgery was introduced in 2020-2021.
  • UCHealth completed its 10,000th transplant in 2025.

The players

Dr. Igal Kam

Chief of transplant surgery at UCHealth from 1988 to 2016.

Dr. Trevor Nydam

Current chief of transplant surgery at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.

Patty Newman Coy Byrn

A living kidney donor in 1966, when the procedure was still pioneering.

Sam Carter

A living kidney donor who underwent a robotic-assisted surgery in 2025.

Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN)

The organization that tracks over 120,000 people across the country waiting for lifesaving organs.

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What they’re saying

“When we were performing transplants in the 80s, the procedures were far more invasive and every transplant carried uncertainty.”

— Dr. Igal Kam, Former chief of transplant surgery at UCHealth (UCHealth)

“They cut me from the middle of my stomach to the middle of my back, and they took a rib out to get the kidney out so it wasn't damaged.”

— Patty Newman Coy Byrn, Living kidney donor in 1966 (UCHealth)

“It's incredible we get to do this, to give an organ so that someone else can start their life over.”

— Sam Carter, Living kidney donor in 2025 (UCHealth)

What’s next

UCHealth plans to continue innovating in transplant medicine, exploring new technologies and techniques to make the procedures even less invasive and more accessible for both donors and recipients.

The takeaway

UCHealth's pioneering work in transplant medicine over the past six decades has transformed the field, making lifesaving procedures safer, less disruptive, and more available to patients in need. This milestone of 10,000 transplants is a testament to the hospital's commitment to innovation and improving patient outcomes.