Dr. Mary Killackey
Chair, Department of Surgery, Robert and Viola Lobrano Chair in Surgery
Biography
Mary Killackey, MD, FACS is an Associate Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at Tulane University School of Medicine and the first woman Chair of the Department of Surgery, appointed in May 2016. Although she grew up, was educated and trained in the Northeast, she is passionate about living in New Orleans and on faculty at Tulane since 2006. Upon her move, it quickly became clear that practicing in this region, post-Katrina would allow for a fulfilling and impactful career. Her clinical expertise is in abdominal transplant surgery (liver, pancreas and kidney) in both adults and children, practicing primarily at Tulane Hospital and Children's Hospital of New Orleans. She is a natural leader and continued to advance in leadership at Tulane, ultimately becoming Director of the Abdominal Transplant Program and then Chair of the Department of Surgery. She is active nationally in the transplant arena and represents our region to the UNOS Kidney Transplant committee, thee body which creates and proposes new policy in organ allocation.
In her current role as Chair, she is committed to re-establishing Tulane Surgery's preeminent position within American Surgery. Her passion for molding and creating future leaders has been the cornerstone of her work and vision for the department.
Education
American Board of Surgery
American Society of Transplant Surgeons
Recanati/Miller Transplant Institute, The Mount Sinai Hospital
Strong Memorial Hospital
Strong Memorial Hospital
College of Physicians and Surgeons
Articles
Liver transplantation in New Orleans: parity in a world of disparity?
2017
Racial disparity in access to liver transplantation among African Americans (AA) compared to Caucasians (CA) has been well described. The aim of this investigation was to examine the presentation of AA liver transplant recipients in a socioeconomically challenged region.
A comparison of three induction therapies on patients with delayed graft function after kidney transplantation
2016
We compare the outcomes of induction therapies with either methylprednisolone (group 1, n = 58), basiliximab (group 2, n = 56) or alemtuzumab (group 3, n = 98) in primary deceased donor kidney transplants with delayed graft function (DGF). Protocol biopsies were performed. Maintenance was tacrolimus and mycophenolate with steroid (group 1 and 2) or without steroid (group 3). One-year biopsy-confirmed acute rejection (AR) rates were 27.6, 19.6 and 10.2 % in group 1, 2 and 3 (p = 0.007). AR was significantly lower in group 3 (p = 0.002) and group 2 (p = 0.03) than in group 1. One-year graft survival rates were 90, 96 and 100 % in group 1, 2 and 3 (log rank p = 0.006). Group 1 had inferior graft survival than group 2 (p = 0.03) and group 3 (p = 0.002). The patient survival rates were not different (96.6, 98.2 and 100 %, log rank p = 0.81). Multivariable analysis using methylprednisolone induction as control indicated that alemtuzumab (OR 0.31, 95 % CI 0.11–0.82; p = 0.03) and basiliximab (OR 0.60, 95 % CI 0.23–0.98; p = 0.018) were associated with lower risk of AR. Therefore, alemtuzumab or basiliximab induction decreases AR and improves graft survival than methylprednisolone alone in patients with DGF. Alemtuzumab induction might also allow patients with DGF to be maintained with contemporary steroid-withdrawal protocol.
Novel Once-Daily Extended-Release Tacrolimus Versus Twice-Daily Tacrolimus in De Novo Kidney Transplant Recipients: Two-Year Results of Phase 3, Double-Blind, Randomized Trial
2016
1-year data from this trial showed the noninferiority of a novel once-daily extended-release tacrolimus (LCPT; Envarsus XR) to immediate-release tacrolimus (IR-Tac) twice daily after kidney transplantation.
A Rationale to Use Bladder Boari Flap Reconstruction for Late Kidney Transplant Ureteral Strictures
2016
To evaluate the efficacy of Boari flap reconstruction (BFR) in the management of late-onset transplant ureteral strictures (TUS).
Racial Disparity in Renal Transplantation: Alemtuzumab the Great Equalizer?
2015
Racial disparity as a barrier to successful outcomes in renal transplants for African Americans has been well described. Numerous unsuccessful attempts have been made to identify specific immunologic and socioeconomic factors. The objective of our study was to determine whether alemtuzumab (AL) induction abolishes this discrepancy and improves allograft survival in African American recipients.Methods:
