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Debra L Sudan

Professor of Surgery
Surgery, Abdominal Transplant Surgery
Box 3512 Med Ctr, Durham, NC 27710
223 Hanes House, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


I am interested clinically in all abdominal organ transplants (kidney, liver, pancreas and intestine).  I am specifically interested in intestine transplantation and improving intestine graft preservation and long-term graft function and patient survival.  In addition, I am interested in monitoring of patients to improve our ability to determine the etiology of graft dysfunction when there are complex interacting issues such as infection and rejection as well as examining better immunosuppressive regimens to maintain excellent graft function.  We have numerous research studies and trial to improve our knowledge in these areas and thereby contribute to improved patient outcomes!

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Surgery · 2011 - Present Surgery, Abdominal Transplant Surgery, Surgery
Division Chief of Abdominal Transplant in the Department of Surgery · 2011 - Present Surgery, Clinical Science Departments
Professor in Pediatrics · 2009 - Present Pediatrics, Clinical Science Departments

In the News


Published August 9, 2023
Young Lives Transformed by Groundbreaking Intestinal Transplants
Published December 28, 2015
A stranger donates part of her liver, giving the gift of life to infant
Published June 27, 2015
Duke Physicians Separate Conjoined Twins

View All News

Recent Publications


Evolution of Out-of-Sequence Liver Allocation, 2019-2024.

Journal Article Am J Transplant · January 27, 2026 Allocation out-of-sequence (AOOS) refers to deviation from the match run order in deceased donor organ allocation and is intended for use in exceptional cases to expedite organ placement. Contemporary patterns of AOOS in liver transplantation are not well ... Full text Link to item Cite

Racial Disparities in Pediatric Intestinal Transplant Wait-List Times Are Not Explained by Socioeconomic Measures.

Journal Article Pediatr Transplant · November 2025 BACKGROUND: Racially minoritized children with intestinal failure are less likely to undergo intestinal transplant and more than twice as likely to die without one. Socioeconomic factors may contribute to disparities in transplant receipt and healthcare ut ... Full text Link to item Cite

Assessing blood culture appropriateness in solid organ transplant recipients: a diagnostic stewardship approach.

Journal Article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · September 29, 2025 OBJECTIVE: Diagnostic stewardship of blood culture utilization is important to mitigate the risks associated with unnecessary culturing. Although blood culture algorithms have been studied previously, there is a lack of data on their application among soli ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


STARS Extension Study

Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by VectivBio AG · 2022 - 2032

FP-Assessment of Biomarker Guided CNI Substitution in Kidney Transplantation

Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Cedars Sinai Medical Center · 2023 - 2029

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Education, Training & Certifications


Wright State University · 1994 M.D.