AHN Abdominal Transplant

08/22/2025

Meet the Team✨

From managing the kidney waitlist to guiding generous living donors, these incredible nurses are at the heart of our transplant program.

•Cara and Gailann are our dedicated Waitlist Coordinators. They work closely with patients on the kidney transplant waitlist to ensure they remain “transplant ready.” That means monitoring each patient’s health, staying up to date with any changes, and supporting patients and their families as they await a kidney transplant.

•Cassidy and Nicole are our compassionate Living Donor Coordinators. They walk side-by-side with individuals who are considering the gift of life through kidney donation—supporting them from initial screening, through surgery, and all the way to post-donation care.

Together, these two teams collaborate to match patients in need of a kidney transplant with generous, life-giving donors. 💛

08/01/2025

Today is Pennsylvania Donor Day — a time to honor the heroes who give the gift of life through organ, eye, and tissue donation 💚💙

Interested in becoming an organ donor?
Sign up here: https://registerme.org/campaign/ahn

05/28/2025

At Allegheny General Hospital, we strive to offer as many opportunities as possible for patients with end stage liver disease to receive a life-saving transplant.

With over 10,000 people on the national waiting list for a liver transplant, there are people who will die or get removed from the waiting list because they’ve become too sick to undergo a transplant or their liver cancer becomes too advanced. Unfortunately, there are many more people waiting for a transplant than there are available organs.

The good news is that a healthy person can donate part of their liver to someone in need of a transplant, shortening the time a recipient has to wait on the list and giving them a second chance at life.

If you are interested in learning more about donating part of your liver, please reach out to our living donor team for more information.

05/15/2025

Pittsburgh Magazine’s 2025 Top Doctors 🏆

Transplant surgeon Dr. Machado and transplant hepatologist Dr. Strahotin were recently featured in Pittsburgh Magazine’s 2025 Top Doctors report. A well-deserved recognition for two renowned physicians on our abdominal transplant team. 👏🏼

To receive this designation, doctors are nominated and screened based on their professional reputation, education and expertise, and interpersonal skills. The Castle Connolly Doctor Directory is the largest network of peer-nominated physicians in the nation.

Check out the full list of featured physicians:
https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/find-the-top-doctors-in-pittsburgh/

05/12/2025

Son donates kidney for mom’s second transplant 💚

Zane Slater’s decision to donate one of his kidneys to his mother was easy for him to make, but not quite as easy for her to accept.

“I was so adamant. I don’t want to take from my kids,” said Anna Castello. “He kept being persistent. It has to feel right to accept it. It felt right. It was God’s will.”

•••

Castello didn’t know it at the time, but Zane, 34, said he, his older brother, Zach Slater, 36, and their fiances had their blood tested to see if they would be suitable donors.

“They did it without my knowledge,” Castello said.

It was November last year when she finally agreed to accept a kidney from Zane.

“I’m supposed to take care of them. It was a reversal,” she said.

Slater said he had no hesitation about donating a kidney to his mother.

“Gotta take care of mom,” he said.

The transplant was performed Jan. 27 at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.

•••

Slater said his kidney was removed at 7:30 a.m., but he barely noticed.

“I woke up and didn’t think they operated on me. I thought they decided they couldn’t do it,” Slater said.

He said felt the area of his abdomen that was covered with a bandage to confirm he underwent surgery.
The removal resulted in less post-operative pain than he experienced when his gall bladder and appendix were removed in separate procedures. The only rule he said he has to follow is to stay hydrated.

“It’s too easy,” Slater said.

•••

Over 100,000 people across the nation, including 7,000 in Pennsylvania, are awaiting an organ transplant. Every 10 minutes, someone new is added to the national transplant list and 17 will die every day while awaiting a transplant. One person can save the lives of as many as eight people through organ donation. One tissue donor can heal 75 lives, according to the proclamation.

Slater said he gets tested every six months to make sure his remaining kidney is working well, but those tests also will gradually become less frequent.

The hospital’s transplant team looks after the donor as much as the recipient, Castello said.
Because he donated a kidney, Slater said he would placed at the top of the transplant list if he needs one.

“Everyone should be a donor to save lives,” Castello said.

Read full story:

CONCORD TWP — Zane Slater’s decision to donate one of his kidneys to his mother was easy for him to make, but not quite as easy for her to accept. “I was so adamant. I don’t want to take from my kids,...

05/06/2025

Happy Nurses Week! 🩺🖤

We are proud to recognize the unwavering dedication, expertise, and compassion of our transplant nurse coordinators. Transplant coordinators guide patients and their families through every stage of the transplant journey—from initial evaluation and listing, to surgery, recovery, and lifelong follow-up.

We also want to thank the nursing teams in the operating room and inpatient units who ensure seamless, compassionate care during and after transplant surgery. Whether it’s educating patients, advocating for their needs, or providing emotional support, these nurses are with our patients every step of the way.

Thank you to our transplant nurse coordinators—and all transplant nurses—for being the steady hands and compassionate hearts behind every successful transplant. 👏🏼

04/30/2025

April 30th is Donor Remembrance Day 🤍

To wrap up National Donate Life Month, Allegheny General Hosptial hosted our annual Honor Walk to pay tribute to those who have given the ultimate lifesaving gift of organ donation.

The Honor Walk provides caregivers a chance to honor the heroism of patients, while giving families of deceased donors a powerful opportunity to recognize the legacies that their loved ones leave behind.

We are eternally grateful for those who gave the gift of life to those awaiting an organ transplant. They will never be forgotten. 💚

Read more: https://www.ahn.org/newsroom/press-releases/press-release.html?pr=allegheny-health-network-pays-tribute-to-over-100-members-of-organ-donor-families-with-ceremonial-honor-walk

04/28/2025

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), there are more than 104,000 people across the United States in need of a lifesaving organ transplant. In 2024, 48,149 organ transplants were performed, per recent data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Although this is a record-breaking number for the U.S., the critical need for organ donation remains.

To tackle the extensive waitlist, the transplant team at Allegheny Health Network (AHN) is encouraging organ donor registration, educating the public on living organ donation and implementing new technology to expedite successful transplants.

Check out this interview with Jennifer Carpenter, MD and Lorenzo Machado, MD to learn more:

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), there are more than 104,000 people across the United States in need of a lifesaving organ transplant. In 2024, 48,149 organ transplants were performed, per recent data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Although th...

04/23/2025

It’s Transplant Nurses Week! 🩺💊

This week, we’re celebrating the incredible transplant nurse coordinators who are the heart of our transplant program.

From the moment a patient is referred for transplant evaluation through surgery and beyond, transplant coordinators are there every step of the way. They are advocates, educators, problem-solvers, and compassionate guides through what can be one of the most overwhelming journeys of a person’s life.

Before transplant, coordinators help patients understand the process, schedule testing, answer questions, and provide emotional support. After transplant, they monitor for signs of rejection, manage medications, and ensure patients stay healthy and informed.

Their expertise and dedication save lives every day, and we are beyond grateful for the work they do.

Thank you, transplant nurse coordinators, for your commitment to our patients and their families. You make a difference with every call, every visit, and every transplant. 💚

04/21/2025

✨Patient Highlight✨

David was in Bali to run in the “mountain marathon” when he fell ill, became septic and went into both heart and liver failure. He returned to the United States and went right to Allegheny General Hospital, where our team of cardiac and liver experts determined that David would need a new and very complex surgery to save his life. Two days later, David had a 12-hour simultaneous liver transplant and open heart surgery. Today, thanks to the advanced surgical capabilities of our liver transplant and cardiac surgery teams and a family who said yes to organ donation, David is recovering and is doing very well!

Read more about David’s story and consider registering as an organ donor:

Though David Johnston is still working on building up his stamina and muscle, “mentally and physically, I’m in a good place,” he says.

04/17/2025

Every 8 minutes, another person is added to the national transplant waiting list. But one decision can create a lifetime of hope. Visit https://registerme.org/campaign/ahn to sign up! 💚

04/14/2025

🧠💡Did you know that one organ and tissue donor can heal up to 75 lives and that every 10 minutes someone is added to a transplant waiting listing? Register as an organ donor at:

This registration is a binding, legal document of gift. You affirm the information provided is accurate. You agree upon death to donate all eligible organs and tissues for transplant.