Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD
Accepting New Patients
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It's very rewarding to see the patients succeed after surgery.
– Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD

Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD

Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Surgeon, Pediatric Kidney Transplant Surgeon

Duke Health Provider question
Accepting New Patients
Call for an Appointment
Areas of Expertise
Where I See Patients
Duke Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Clinic - Clinic 2B/2C - Durham, NC
Board Certified
American Board of Surgery, General Surgery
It's very rewarding to see the patients succeed after surgery.
– Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD

About Me

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.

School of Medicine Departments and Divisions
Current Appointments and Affiliations
Languages I Speak
English

Call for an Appointment

Areas of Expertise

Training and Education

Board Certification
American Board of Surgery, General Surgery
Fellowship
Multi-Organ Transplantation, University of Wisconsin, 1995-1997
Residency
Surgery, Duke University Hospital, 1987-1989
Research Fellow, Surgery, Duke University Hospital, 1989-1992
Senior Resident, Surgery, Duke University Hospital, 1992-1994 (Chief Resident, 1994-1995)
Education
MD, Duke University School of Medicine, 1987
PhD, Immunology, Duke University, 1992

Clinical Focus and Research

My Research Interests

My particular area of interest is learning how to manipulate people’s immune systems so that they don’t reject their organ, but can still reject bacteria, viruses and things along those lines. We’re now at the point where in selected cases we can transplant a kidney from one person to another and keep that kidney working with only one medication, once a month. I also work with the Military to help develop better was of managing people who have been critically injured. That work is particularly rewarding and is taking some of the same principles we are learning from my transplant research and using them to improve the outcome after trauma and severe illness.

Clinical Trials
Publications and Grants

Insurance Accepted

Duke Health contracts with most major health insurance carriers and transplant networks, including the ones listed below.

    • Aetna Choice POS, Aetna Choice POS II
    • Aetna Elect Choice HMO, Aetna Open Access Elect Choice
    • Aetna Health Network Only, Aetna Health Network Option
    • Aetna HMO
    • Aetna Limited Benefit Insurance PPO
    • Aetna Managed Choice POS
    • Aetna Medicare Assure Plan (HMO D-SNP)
    • Aetna Medicare Eagle Plan (PPO)
    • Aetna Medicare Essential Plan (PPO)
    • Aetna Medicare Value Plan (HMO)
    • Aetna Open Access HMO, Open Access Aetna Select, Aetna Open Access Managed Choice
    • Aetna Open Choice PPO
    • Aetna PCP Coordinated POS Plan
    • Aetna Quality Point of Service (QPOS)
    • Aetna Select HMO
    • Aetna Traditional Choice
    • Aetna Voluntary Indemnity Group Plan
    • Aetna Whole Health – Duke WakeMed WKCC
    • Aetna/CVS Health
    • Ambetter of North Carolina
    • Blue Advantage
    • Blue Medicare (HMO, PPO)*
    • Blue Options (123, PPO, HSA)
    • Blue Select
    • NC State Employees Health Plan
    • *Duke HomeCare and Hospice does not participate in the plan.

    • Cigna Behavioral Health (*Limited eligibility)
    • Cigna Choice Plus
    • Cigna Connect Individual Family Plan
    • Cigna Open Access
    • Cigna Open Access Plus
    • *Please call Cigna Behavioral Heath to see if the provider is participating in your plan.

    • Duke Basic
    • Duke Select
    • Experience Health Medicare Advantage (HMO) Plan
  • Gateway Health Alliance
  • Healthgram
    • Humana Choice (PPO)
    • Humana Choice - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
    • Humana ChoiceCare - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
    • Humana Gold Choice - Medicare Advantage (PFFS)
    • Humana Gold Plus - Medicare Advantage (HMO)
    • Humana Medicare Advantage Group Plan - NC State Retirees
  • MedCost
    • First Medicare Direct
    • Medicare Part A
    • Medicare Part B
    • AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina
    • Carolina Complete Health
    • Healthy Blue
    • NC Medicaid Direct
    • WellCare of North Carolina
    • TRICARE Prime
    • TRICARE Prime Remote
    • TRICARE Select
    • AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 2 (HMO-POS)
    • AARP Medicare Complete (HMO, PPO)*
    • AARP Medicare Complete Essential (HMO)*
    • All Savers Alternate Funding
    • All Savers Fully Insured
    • United Healthcare (HMO, PPO, POS)
    • United Healthcare Charter/Charter Balance/Charter Plus
    • United Healthcare Choice/Choice Plus
    • United Healthcare Core/Core Essential
    • United Healthcare Navigate/Navigate Plus/Navigate Balanced
    • United Healthcare Option PPO
    • United Healthcare Passport Connect Choice/Choice Plus
    • United Healthcare Passport Connect Options PPO
    • United Healthcare Select/Select Plus
    • United Healthcare Shared Services - Harvard Pilgrim/UHC Options PPO Network
    • United Medical Resources (UMR)
    • *Duke HomeCare and Hospice and mental health providers do not participate with the plan.

Before scheduling your appointment, we strongly recommend you contact your insurance company to verify that the Duke Health location or provider you plan to visit is included in your network. Your insurance company will also be able to inform you of any co-payments, co–insurances, or deductibles that will be your responsibility. If you proceed in scheduling an appointment and your health insurance benefits do not participate with Duke, your out of pocket liability may be higher. We will contact you regarding your coverage and patient liability. If you are uninsured, learn more about our financial assistance policy.

External Relationships

This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported outside activities with the companies or institutions listed below. This information has been reported to the health system leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts of interest.
  • AskBio
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • CareDx
  • Clinetic (formerly MedBlue Data)
  • Eledon Pharmaceuticals
  • Innoskel
  • MedBlue Incubator
  • Novartis pharmaceuticals
  • PeriOptions
  • Sana Biotechnology Inc.
  • Sanofi Genzyme
  • Surgical Safety Technologies
  • United Therapeutics Corp.
  • Veloxis
  • Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
  • egenesis