Dr. Chirag S. Desai

I am a transplant surgeon specializing in kidney transplants. Kidney transplantation is unique in surgery because you’re providing a cure for a disease. It’s very rewarding to see the patients succeed after surgery; the donors also make my practice very special. We can’t do a transplant without them providing this wonderful gift. Duke has been performing kidney transplants for 50+ years – since the very beginnings of the field. In fact, the process of how we match tissues for transplants was started at Duke. We’ve done thousands of kidney transplants here, so it’s great to be a part of a program with such a rich history. I’m also the chairman of the Department of Surgery and the surgeon-in-chief for the Duke University Health System, where we perform all types of transplants. Dr. Kirk is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Kidney Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Malnutrition, Hepatic Ischemia, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Kidney Transplant, and Islet Cell Transplantation.

Duke is where I learned surgery, was taught how to interact with patients, and began my professional training. I am returning to Duke after working at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and later Emory (Atlanta) as a transplant and hepatobiliary surgeon. I enjoy working with adults and children who need surgery of the liver and biliary tract, liver vascular surgery, or kidney transplantation. I am actively engaged in research to reduce the risk of rejection of organ transplants. My wife and I have three sons, and we enjoy sports and being outdoors. Dr. Knechtle is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Kidney Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Cholangitis, Cholestasis, Kidney Transplant, and Liver Transplant.

I chose medicine as my career because it was the perfect way to combine my love of learning and being challenged with my desire to make a positive difference in people's lives. During my general surgery residence in medical school, I gravitated toward transplantation precisely because of the immediate and profound impact it can have on someone’s health and quality of life. After completing a transplant fellowship at the University of Nebraska, I practiced surgery in Omaha, Nebraska for 14 years before coming to Duke to be a leader in its nationally renowned transplant program. As an abdominal transplant surgeon, I perform surgery on people needing organ transplantation in the abdominal region of the body, with a particular expertise in the areas of liver and small bowel transplants. I see transplant patients of all ages, but I find it especially rewarding to take care of pediatric patients. Transplant patients, in general, tend to be very sick, have a poor quality of life and, without transplant, have little hope of getting better. Having the opportunity to use my skill and expertise to help these children and their families is incredibly gratifying. Dr. Sudan is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Kidney Transplant. Her top areas of expertise are Short Bowel Syndrome, Gastrointestinal Fistula, Liver Cancer, Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant.