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    Stephen P. Dunn, MD

    Transplant Surgery
    (800) 416-4441
    Researcher Profile

    Primary Office

    ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Children's Hospital, Delaware ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Children's Hospital, Delaware 1600 Rockland Road Wilmington, DE 19803
    Appointment: (800) 416-4441

    Get to Know Me

    Dr. Stephen P. Dunn is chief of the Division of Solid Organ Transplantation. He's also a professor of surgery and pediatrics at Thomas Jefferson University, an international presenter, and an author of more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and abstracts.

    Why I Treat Children

    When I was young, the physicians I first heard about were missionaries and I always thought that what they were doing was really important. It seemed to me that helping other people who were sick was one of the best things I could do with my life. I made that decision early — while in middle school. Over time, I knew I wanted to help children. I've always loved being around kids. Their innocence is amazing. It's a privilege to care for them and to earn the trust of their parents.I see life as a service. And the best service I can provide is to use the things I know to give children a second chance. Nothing is more rewarding than knowing we helped someone to have a normal childhood and grow up to live a happy, productive life as a result of our solid organ transplantation program.

    What I'm Passionate About

    I'm passionate about taking solid organ transplant programs to the next level — introducing what we've learned to societies that haven't been able to take advantage of these medical techniques before. So I devote a lot of energy to discussing and critiquing work that's going on in transplantation programs for children around the world.I'm very fortunate to have a family that supports me in this. My wife and kids have always acted like they were part of the team that sent me to work every day. I owe them everything.

    How I Try to Make A Difference

    I really want to help heal children through my work. We've found a better way to treat a specific liver-related form of high blood pressure and I'm working toward more children being treated using this technique.I’ve also tried to use what I've learned to help children in need in other countries. The missionary physicians I had heard of when I was young inspired me to do something similar. I've set up viable solid organ transplant programs in Bolivia and India and established a live-donor liver transplant program in Philadelphia.This work has attracted numerous like-minded physicians and health professionals, and I'm especially proud that many of them have followed me to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.

    Education & Training

    Fellowship

    • Pediatric Surgery - St. Christophers Hospital for Children, 1987

    Internship

    • Surgical - Indiana University School of Medicine, 1979

    Residency

    • Surgery - Indiana University School of Medicine, 1985

    Medical/Dental School

    • MD - Indiana University, 1978

    Board Certifications

    • American Board of Surgery
    • American Board of Surgery/Pediatric Surgery
    • American Board of Surgery/Surgical Critical Care

    Awards & Recognition

    • 2016 Philadelphia Magazine's Top Doctors
    • 2015 Philadelphia Magazine's Top Doctors
    • 2015 SJ Magazine's Top Docs for Kids
    • 2014 Best Doctors in America
    • 2014 Philadelphia Magazine's Top Doctors
    • 2013 Best Doctors in America
    • 2012 Distinguished Service Medical, Committee of Santa Cruz
    • 2011 Maestro de la Juventud, Premio Joven Bolivia (Youth Peace Prize)
    • 2010 Honorary Membership, Society of Bolivian Surgeons
    • 2003 Surgeon of the Year, National Kidney Foundation of Philadelphia, Pa.
    • 2000 Silver Anniversary Award, Society of Bolivian Pediatric Surgeons

    Insurance Accepted

    • Aetna Better Health FL Medicaid and Healthy Kids
    • Aetna Better Health PA Kids HMO
    • Aetna HMO
    • Aetna HMO/POS/PPO/EPO
    • Aetna PPO/EPO/POS
    • Aetna PPO/POS/EPO
    • Amerihealth Caritas DE - PENNSYLVANIA SPECIALISTS ONLY
    • Amerihealth Caritas Delaware
    • Amerihealth Caritas Delaware NJ
    • AmeriHealth Caritas Florida (FKA Prestige Health Choice)
    • AvMed
    • Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMO
    • Blue Cross and Blue Shield Non HMO
    • Blue Cross Blue Shield Florida Blue Select
    • Carefirst MD Community Health Plan Mcaid
    • Cigna & Great West HMO/POS Open Access
    • Cigna & Great West HMO/POS/EPO
    • Cigna & Great West PPO
    • Cigna & Great West PPO/EPO
    • Cigna/Great West HMO EPO POS
    • Cigna/Great West PPO
    • Community Care Plan Medicaid
    • Delaware First Health
    • Delaware Medicaid/Diamond State
    • Delaware Medicare
    • Devon Health Services
    • Employers Health Network PPO
    • Evolutions Healthcare
    • Fidelis Care NJ Medicaid HMO
    • First Health Aetna PPO/EPO
    • First Health/Affordable PPO
    • Florida Community Care
    • Florida Medicaid
    • Florida Medicare
    • Geisinger Health Plan Commercial
    • Global Medical Managment DE/PA
    • Global Medical Mangment NJ
    • Health First Health Plans
    • Health Partners Medicaid/Kidz Partner HMO
    • HealthSmart Health Plans PPO
    • Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware
    • Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware *PA Loc Contiguous to DE*
    • Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware *PA Loc NONContiguous to DE*
    • Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Pennsylvania
    • Highmark Medicaid Health Options
    • Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
    • HUMANA HEALTHY HORIZONS (FKA HUMANA MEDICAID)
    • Humana HMO/POS
    • Humana PPO/EPO
    • Independance Blue Cross/Amerihealth/Keystone Health Plan
    • Insurance Administrators of America
    • INTEGRA Administrative Group (ClaimsBridge)
    • Interlink Transplant
    • Keystone First Medicaid HMO
    • Lifetrac Transplant
    • Maryland Medicaid
    • Molina Healthcare Medicaid
    • Multiplan PPO
    • National Transplant (Humana)
    • New Jersey Medicaid
    • Olympus Managed Healthcare PPO NJ
    • Olympus Managed Healthcare PPO ORL
    • Pennsylvania Medicaid
    • Plan Vista/NPPN PPO
    • Preferred Healthcare PPO
    • Prime Health Services PPO Specialty Florida
    • Private Health Care Systems (PHCS)
    • Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
    • Qualcare HMO/POS/PPO
    • Seminole Tribe of Florida
    • Simply Healthcare Healthy Kids
    • Simply Healthcare Medicaid HMO
    • Star Healthcare Network
    • Star Healthcare Network
    • Sunshine SMI/CMS 19 & 21
    • Sunshine State Health Plan Medicaid
    • Three Rivers Provider Network
    • Tricare/Humana Military Health Services/CHAMPVA
    • United Healthcare Commercial Products
    • United Healthcare Community Plan Medicaid
    • United Healthcare of the Mid-Atlantic
    • UPMC MCAID/CHIP PA DE
    • US Family Health Plan
    • Volusia Health Network PPO/EPO
    • Wellpoint Maryland Medcaid

    • Abdominal Masses
    • Anti-Reflux Surgery
    • Breast Disorders
    • Burn Care
    • Chest Wall Disorders
    • Gall Bladder Disease
    • Hernias and Hydroceles
    • Kidney Transplant
    • Liver Transplant
    • Solid Organ Transplant
    • Wound Care

    Research Activities

    I’ve done studies on a wide range of medical topics, including Epstein-Barr virus in children, the mechanisms of lymphoma in patients whose immune systems have been suppressed, and the use of transplant organs donated by families of people who suffered non-accidental trauma.

    Medical Interests

    • Portal hypertension (high blood pressure in the portal vein and surrounding blood vessels)
    • Surgical treatment of portal hypertension

    • Employment search, initial employment experience, and career preferences of recent pediatric surgical fellowship graduates: An APSA survey, part of the right child/right surgeon initiative; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (2022).

    • Anonymous Nondirected Living Liver Donation: Has the Time Come to Formalize the Process?; Liver Transplantation; (2021).

    • Doxorubicin in combination with cisplatin, 5-flourouracil, and vincristine is feasible and effective in unresectable hepatoblastoma: A Children's Oncology Group study.; Cancer; (2021).

    • Small Cell Undifferentiated Histology Does Not Adversely Affect Outcome in Hepatoblastoma: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group (COG) AHEP0731 Study Committee.; Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology; (2021).

    • Society of pediatric liver transplantation: Current registry status 2011-2018; Pediatric Transplantation; (2020).

    • Successful use of transarterial radioembolization with yttrium-90 (TARE-Y90) in two children with hepatoblastoma.; Pediatric blood & cancer; (2020).

    • The Right Child/Right Surgeon initiative: A position statement on pediatric surgical training, sub-specialization, and continuous certification from the American Pediatric Surgical Association.; Journal of pediatric surgery; (2020).

    • Minimal adjuvant chemotherapy for children with hepatoblastoma resected at diagnosis (AHEP0731): a Children's Oncology Group, multicentre, phase 3 trial.; The Lancet. Oncology; (2019).

    • Evaluation of the diagnostic biopsy approach for children with hepatoblastoma: A report from the children's oncology group AHEP 0731 liver tumor committee.; Journal of pediatric surgery; (2019).

    • Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in a Pediatric Patient with Hepatopulmonary Syndrome and Interrupted Inferior Vena Cava After Living Related Liver Donation.; ASAIO journal (American Society for Artificial Internal Organs : 1992); (2019).

    • Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease of the larynx.; Journal of surgical case reports; (2019).

    • Separation of omphalopagus conjoined twins with ruptured omphalocele, complex biliary sharing and a choledochal cyst; Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports; (2019).

    • Acute and chronic rapamycin use in patients with Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva: A report of two cases.; Bone; (2017).

    • Characterization of Pulmonary Metastases in Children With Hepatoblastoma Treated on Children's Oncology Group Protocol AHEP0731 (The Treatment of Children With All Stages of Hepatoblastoma): A Report From the Children's Oncology Group.; Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology; (2017).

    • Upfront window vincristine/irinotecan treatment of high-risk hepatoblastoma: A report from the Children's Oncology Group AHEP0731 study committee.; Cancer; (2017).

    • Acquired discrete subaortic stenosis in solid organ transplant recipients.; Pediatric transplantation; (2014).

    • Decreasing incidence of symptomatic Epstein-Barr virus disease and posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder in pediatric liver transplant recipients: report of the studies of pediatric liver transplantation experience.; Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society; (2013).

    • Surgical management of children with locally advanced hepatoblastoma.; Cancer; (2012).

    • Liver transplantation in the management of unresectable hepatoblastoma in children.; Frontiers in bioscience (Elite edition); (2012).

    • Liver transplantation in the management of unresectable hepatoblastoma in children; Frontiers in Bioscience - Elite; (2012).

    • Pediatric liver transplantation: A report from a pediatric surgical unit.; Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons; (2011).

    • Infantile choriocarcinoma in a neonate with massive liver involvement cured with chemotherapy and liver transplant.; Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology; (2011).

    • Pilot study using an Internet-based program in informed consent.; Journal of pediatric surgery; (2010).

    • Selection of live-related liver transplantation candidates.; Journal of pediatric surgery; (2009).

    • Telemedicine consultation and monitoring for pediatric liver transplant.; Anesthesia and analgesia; (2009).

    • Failure of immunosuppressive drug levels to predict T-cell reactivity in pediatric transplant patients.; Journal of pediatric surgery; (2008).

    • Health-related quality of life and family function following pediatric liver transplantation.; Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society; (2008).

    • Successful liver transplant for unresectable hepatoblastoma; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (2007).

    • MicroRNA let-7a down-regulates MYC and reverts MYC-induced growth in Burkitt lymphoma cells; Cancer Research; (2007).

    • Impact of graft type on outcome in pediatric liver transplantation: A report from Studies of Pediatric Liver Transplantation (SPLIT); Annals of Surgery; (2007).

    • Late graft loss or death in pediatric liver transplantation: an analysis of the SPLIT database; American Journal of Transplantation; (2007).

    • Arterial-venous fistulas following pediatric liver transplant case studies.; Pediatric transplantation; (2007).

    • c-Myc inhibition negatively impacts lymphoma growth.; Journal of pediatric surgery; (2006).

    • Analysis of Epstein-Barr virus reservoirs in paired blood and breast cancer primary biopsy specimens by real time PCR.; Breast cancer research : BCR; (2006).

    • Intussusception in a child with respiratory syncytial virus: a new association.; Delaware medical journal; (2006).

    • Statistical process control and calcineurin inhibitor management.; The Journal of pediatrics; (2005).

    • Liver transplantation as definitive treatment for a factor V Leiden mutation.; The Journal of pediatrics; (2005).

    • Improvement in renal function and rejection control in pediatric liver transplant recipients with the introduction of sirolimus.; Pediatric transplantation; (2004).

    • Non-compliance in children post-liver transplant. Who are the culprits?; Pediatric transplantation; (2004).

    • Model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) and allocation of donor livers; Gastroenterology; (2003).

    • Neoral monitoring 2 hours post-dose and the pediatric transplant patient.; Pediatric transplantation; (2003).

    • Pediatric transplantation.; American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons; (2003).

    • Basiliximab in pediatric liver transplantation: a pharmacokinetic-derived dosing algorithm.; Pediatric transplantation; (2002).

    • Chromosome rearrangement with no apparent gene mutation in familial adenomatous polyposis and hepatocellular neoplasia.; Pediatric and developmental pathology : the official journal of the Society for Pediatric Pathology and the Paediatric Pathology Society; (2002).

    • Domino as a bridge to definitive liver transplantation in a neonate; Pediatric Transplantation; (2002).

    • Late onset of severe graft-versus-host disease in a pediatric liver transplant recipient; Transplantation; (2001).

    • Neoral C<sub>2</sub> monitoring in pediatric liver transplant recipients; Transplantation Proceedings; (2001).

    • Characterization and treatment of biliary anastomotic stricture after segmental liver transplantation; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (2000).

    • Impact of absorption profiling on efficacy and safety of cyclosporin therapy in transplant recipients; Clinical Pharmacokinetics; (2000).

    • Pediatric recipients of three or more hepatic allografts: Results and technical challenges (1999); Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (2000).

    • Improved cyclosporine bioavailability in black pediatric liver transplant recipients after administration of the microemulsion formulation; Liver Transplantation and Surgery; (1999).

    • Living donor liver transplantation in critically ill children; Pediatric Transplantation; (1999).

    • Sensorineural hearing loss in children after liver transplantation; Archives of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery; (1998).

    • Area under the concentration curve values in pediatric liver transplant recipients on cyclosporin microemulsion formulation; Transplantation Proceedings; (1998).

    • Gastrointestinal perforation after pediatric orthotopic liver transplantation; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (1998).

    • Growth acceleration on cyclosporine monotherapy after liver transplantation in children; Transplantation Proceedings; (1998).

    • Optimization of cyclosporine therapy with new therapeutic drug monitoring strategies: Report from the International Neoral® TDM Advisory Consensus Meeting (Vancouver, November 1997); Transplantation Proceedings; (1998).

    • Results of conversion from Sandimmune to neoral in stable pediatric liver transplant recipients after two years; Transplantation Proceedings; (1998).

    • Results of transplantation for acute and chronic hepatic allograft rejection; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (1998).

    • Transplantation for acute hepatic failure in children; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (1998).

    • Tacrolimus to cyclosporine microemulsion formulation conversion in the pediatric liver transplant patient; Transplantation Proceedings; (1998).

    • Split liver transplantation benefits the recipient of the 'leftover liver'; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (1997).

    • Reduced cyclosporine absorption preceded acute allograft rejection in a child with a liver transplant; Liver Transplantation and Surgery; (1997).

    • Calcineurin activity in children with renal transplants receiving cyclosporine; Transplantation; (1997).

    • Pharmacokinetics of an oral solution of the microemulsion formulation of cyclosporine in maintenance pediatric liver transplant recipients; Transplantation; (1997).

    • Related donor liver transplant for veno-occlusive disease following T-depleted unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation; Transplantation; (1996).

    • Pharmacokinetics of a microemulsion formulation of cyclosporine in pediatric liver transplant recipients; Transplantation Proceedings; (1996).

    • Pharmacokinetics of cyclosporine after renal transplant in children; Journal of Clinical Pharmacology; (1996).

    • Pediatric orthotopic liver transplantation: potential predictors of intraoperative blood loss and coagulation status monitoring; Pediatric Surgery International; (1995).

    • Effects of Carbamazepine on Cyclosporine Metabolism in Pediatric Renal Transplant Recipients; Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy; (1995).

    • Absorption characteristics of a microemulsion formulation of cyclosporine in de novo pediatric liver transplant recipients; Transplantation; (1995).

    • Monotherapy with cyclosporine for chronic immunosuppression in pediatric liver transplant recipients; Transplantation; (1994).

    • Isolated liver transplantation for liver failure in patients with short bowel syndrome; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (1994).

    • Growth after conversion to alternate-day corticosteroids in children with renal transplants: a single-center study; Pediatric Nephrology; (1994).

    • Cyclosporine pharmacokinetics in pediatric liver transplant recipients: Utility of the monoclonal radioimmunoassay single point blood concentration; Transplantation Proceedings; (1994).

    • Rejection after pediatric liver transplantation is not the limiting factor to survival; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (1994).

    • Peritoneal dialysis catheter infections in children after renal transplantation: choosing the time of removal; Pediatric Nephrology; (1994).

    • Oral cyclosporine pharmacokinetics in pediatric renal and liver transplant recipients; Transplantation Proceedings; (1994).

    • Simple technique for determination of the correct length of percutaneous tunnelled catheters in neonates and children; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (1993).

    • Pediatric liver transplantation without red blood cell transfusion; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (1993).

    • Is age less than 1 year a high-risk category for orthotopic liver transplantation?; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (1993).

    • ABO-incompatible liver transplantation: A risk worth taking; Transplantation Proceedings; (1993).

    • Successful splenorenal shunt for emergent control of variceal bleeding in a small child; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (1992).

    • Effect of recipient's race on pediatric renal allograft survival: A single-center study; Pediatrics; (1992).

    • Treatment of steroid-resistant post-transplant nephrotic syndrome with cyclophosphamide in a child with congenital nephrotic syndrome; Pediatric Nephrology; (1992).

    • Urinary tract infections in children with posterior urethral valves after kidney transplantation; Journal of Urology; (1992).

    • Antimouse antibody response after OKT3 administration for steroid resistant rejection; Child Nephrology and Urology; (1991).

    • Combined liver-kidney transplantation in a child with primary hyperoxaluria; Pediatric Nephrology; (1991).

    • A new approach to the left-lateral segment hepatic transplant the flop; Transplantation; (1990).

    • Successful kidney retransplantation of children with stable but chronically rejecting allografts prior to dialysis; Transplantation; (1990).

    • Value of plasmapheresis in hepatic encephalopathy; Pediatric Neurology; (1990).

    • Association of parainfluenza virus type 3 infection with allograft rejection in a liver transplant recipient; Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal; (1989).

    • Intravenous digital subtraction angiography: Its use in evaluating vascular injuries in children; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (1989).

    • Safe conversion from cyclosporine to azathioprine with improved renal function in pediatric renal transplantation; Pediatric Nephrology; (1989).

    • Pyelonephritis following pediatric renal transplant: Increased incidence with vesicoureteral reflux; Journal of Pediatric Surgery; (1987).

    • Acute Peptic Ulcer in Infants and Children. Common Problems in Pediatric Surgery; Unknown Source; (0000).

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