Program Overview

Abdominal Transplant Surgery Fellowship

The abdominal transplant surgery fellowship at the University of Cincinnati is currently accredited to train two fellows in liver and kidney transplantation by the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS). There are two positions open for the 2025 match. The program had its first fellow in 1969 and has graduated 43 fellows. Our graduates have consistently obtained transplant faculty positions across the country and abroad.

Program Overview

The fellowship consists of two clinical years of training in liver, kidney, and pancreas transplantation including broad exposure to both multi-organ deceased donor procurements and live donor operations (laparoscopic nephrectomy and hepatectomy). Fellows also receive extensive training in hepatobiliary and complex vascular access surgery. Finally, starting in the academic year, we have partnered with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to provide our transplant fellows with a pediatric transplant experience.

Philosophy and Training

The philosophy of the transplant faculty is to treat the transplant fellow like a junior partner. This starts with ensuring fellows get the appropriate amount of time off each month, with our program strictly adhering to the ASTS Managed Time Policy. Next, fellows are given graded responsibility not only in the operating room but also in the clinical management of the routine and complex transplant, hepatobiliary, and vascular access patients.

Most fellows are independent in the multi-organ procurement operation within the first few months of fellowship training and virtually all fellows perform the entirety of the liver and kidney transplantation operation within their first six months of their fellowship. The transplant surgery fellow leads the inpatient care of all transplant patients at University of Cincinnati Medical Center. All recipients within their first year of transplant are cared for by the Transplant Surgery service, which consists primarily of attending surgeons, surgery fellows, mid-level providers, surgical residents, and medical students. Structured multidisciplinary rounds are made by the Transplant Surgery service daily. These rounds are led by the transplant surgery fellows with guidance and support provided by transplant surgery faculty. Leadership skills are quickly developed as the fellows coordinate the multi-disciplinary team and oversee the daily management of our transplant patients.

Educational Opportunities

Fellows have the opportunity to participate in outpatient clinics, which include the pre-transplant evaluation of liver, kidney, and pancreas transplant recipients and are able to participate in the routine post-operative care of these patients. Fellows may also attend hepatobiliary and vascular access clinics from which elective cases are scheduled. This allows them the opportunity to participate in preoperative planning and continued outpatient management of these patients.

The goal of the first year of fellowship is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the medical management and operative principles pertinent to the care of our patients. While the second year is designed to be finishing school for our fellows and prepare them for independent practice upon graduation. Fellows work with faculty to develop surgical plans for both live donor nephrectomies and live donor hepatectomies. Fellows in their second year are also offered the opportunity to participate in primary organ offer call, where all information about the organ offer is passed through the attending physician in real time to help develop a comprehensive understanding of deceased donor organ evaluation and how to select a recipient and set up a transplant operation.

Curriculum and Conferences

There are ample educational opportunities available to transplant surgery fellows with a robust structured curriculum in place. Fellows participate in weekly multidisciplinary conferences for liver and kidney transplantation as well as hepatobiliary and vascular access surgery. A year-long Transplant Lecture Series occurs every Friday where a variety of topics spanning all aspects of transplantation are reviewed. Finally, a weekly fellows’ pre-operative conference is held and attended by all faculty, where the elective cases to be performed in the upcoming week are reviewed.

Application Process

• The completed application must be received no later than February 8, 2024.
• All applications are reviewed by the UC Abdominal Transplant Faculty, and select applicants are invited to for a virtual interview day in March/April/May.
• Important match dates:
  • January 10, 2024 – Applicant registration begins.
  • February 8, 2024 – Deadline for applications to be submitted.
  • Interview dates:
    • Day 1: March 8, 2024
    • Day 2: April 12, 2024
    • Day 3: May 17, 2024
  • June 5, 2024 by 12 PM – Rank lists due.
  • June 12, 2024 – Match day.
  • August 4, 2025 – Start date.

Program Administration

• Program Director: Kristina H. Lemon, MD
• The program is accredited by the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) to train two fellows in liver and kidney transplantation.