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On September 4, Penn Vet surgeons, led by Dr. Heidi Phillips, V'01, performed a rare kidney-transplant operation on a dog—14-month-old bull terrier Zansi was the recipient and her twin sister Toni the donor. Penn Vet is the only location on the East Coast—and one of only a few in the country—that can perform the procedure. In fact, it is only the second time the surgery has been performed here.
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The renal transplantation team (from left to right): owner Jennifer O'Brien, primary surgeon Dr. Heidi Phillips, transplant program founder and head Dr. Lillian Aronson, transplant nurse Lynne Beale, with Zansi (recipient, left) and Toni (donor, right).
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Toni, Zansi and owner Jennifer O’Brien flew from Tampa, Fla., for the procedure, after being told by two local vets that nothing could be done to save Zansi’s life. Through her own research, Jennifer found out about Penn Vet’s Feline Renal Transplantation Program at the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital, headed by founder Dr. Lillian Aronson, V'92, and called to inquire about the possibility of having a dog undergo the same surgery.
More than 100 cats have successfully had kidneys transplanted at Penn Vet, but one reason the surgery is so rare in canines is that dogs with diseased kidneys needing a life-saving transplant can only accept a healthy kidney from dog that is a direct relation, in order to minimize side effects.
Unlike the recipient, which requires life-long medication to suppress its immune system so that the new kidney is not rejected, no special long-term care is necessary for the donor. “Usually if nothing seems to be an issue in the first six months after surgery—whether from rejection or infections,” explains Dr. Aronson, “and if the owners follow instructions about medications, then recipients tend to do well long-term."
In fact, Toni—and especially Zansi—did so well post-operatively, they were released from the Ryan Veterinary Hospital on September 10, less than a week after surgery. Heading back to her home in Florida, Jennifer has a lot to be hopeful—and thankful—about. "Everyone here at Penn was so wonderful, they treated us so well," she says. And we can only assume Toni and Zansi share her sentiments. ?
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| 2008 Penn Vet Summer Mentorship Students: (front row, left to right) Aminata Kalley, Jessica Mason; (back row, left to right) Talia Hicks, Aqiyla Mapp, Alexandra Broxton and Brian White. |
Held every summer right after the Independence Day holiday, the Penn Summer Mentorship Program aims to inspire lower-income Philadelphia high-school students to view higher education as an achievable goal. This university–Philadelphia School District initiative, part of Summer at Penn and sponsored by Penn's Office of the Provost, gives local students a chance to attend a summer session at Penn’s school of medicine, veterinary medicine, law, nursing, dental medicine, education or engineering.
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Program participant Brian White examines a dog with the help of nurse practitioner Dr. Fe Wright.
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The program offers motivated students a glimpse into the lives of professionals in one of the above-mentioned fields. Entry into the highly competitive six-week program is open to students who have completed 10th or 11th grade at any Philadelphia high school. Special consideration may be given to students who have overcome tremendous challenges in their personal lives, may be the first in their family to attend college or are from single-parent households.
The coordinator for Penn Vet’s 2008 Summer Mentorship Program—the first time the school has participated—was second-year student Takis Weekes. Six students were selected by Penn Vet for the program this year: three from Walter B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences, one from Bodine High School for International Affairs, one from the Science Leadership Academy and one is home-schooled. The students toured the sections of Cardiology, Radiology, Intensive Care and Special Species at the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital in Philadelphia and heard lectures from faculty members in each specialty. They also toured New Bolton Center, Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (with Michael Moyer, V’90, head of Penn Vet’s Shelter Animal Medicine Program), the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, N.J. (with Donald Stremme, V’75) and the Philadelphia Zoo.
Dr. Adrian Morrison, professor emeritus in animal biology and director of the Laboratory for Study of the Brain in Sleep, lectured the students on the ruminant stomach; Dr. Michael Atchison, professor of animal biology and director of the VMD-PhD Program, spoke on research; and two current vet students also addressed the group. For near-term practical instruction, Rob DiMeo, Penn Vet’s admissions counselor, explained undergraduate and Penn Vet admissions processes.
Finally, the group had five lessons in anatomy, with laboratory sessions, and was present in Pathology on three occasions to observe. On the final day of the program, the students presented research they had completed on different aspects of breeding at the closing ceremony, with students from Penn’s other participating schools. ?
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