News
In Memoriam: Khalid M.H. Butt, MD, FRCS (Eng), FACS
The American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) is deeply saddened by the passing of Khalid M.H. Butt, MD, FRCS (Eng), FACS, earlier this month. He was 77.
Dr. Butt was a charter member of ASTS. ASTS Past President Charles M. Miller, MD, said, “Khalid Butt was a tireless champion of Transplantation. He devoted his life to his patients and always sought new and innovative ways to create opportunities for them to receive kidneys. An excellent and creative surgeon, he Directed the Transplant Programs at Downstate Medical Center and subsequently Westchester County Medical Center and was one of the founding members of NYRTP, the original OPO in New York City. “
Dr. Butt was born in Amritsar, India and emigrated to Pakistan in 1947 as a child. After graduating from King Edward Medical College of the Punjab University, he earned a fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in the United Kingdom and traveled to the United States for training in general and cardiothoracic surgery at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center. He held certifications in both the American Boards of General and Thoracic Surgery.
In 1972 Dr. Butt went to work with Dr. Samuel Kountz in kidney transplantation and later became Director of Transplantation in 1977. He was the founding president and CEO of the New York Regional Transplant Program, currently named LiveOnNY.
In 1989 he founded the first transplant program in the Hudson Valley region at Westchester Medical Center, where he served as Director of Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, as well as Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Surgery at New York Medical College. In 1999, he joined the New York State Transplant Council and chaired the Organ Donation Advisory Task Force of the Medical Society of the State of New York.
Over the course of his nearly 50-year career, Dr. Butt performed over 4,000 kidney transplants. He received many awards, including the Mayor’s Liberty Award of the City of New York in 1986, the American Association of Kidney Patients’ Physician of the Year Award in 1995, and the National Kidney Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. He was also a member of many national and international professional and academic societies and was published in several professional journals.
He retired in 2011 as the Director of Transplantation and Vascular Surgery at Westchester County Medical Center and the Vice-Chairman of the Department of Surgery at New York Medical College.
Dr. Butt is survived by his wife, Jamila, and his two daughters, Fauzia and Neelofar.
Memorial Arrangements
Family, friends, colleagues and loved ones will gather to remember his extraordinary life during calling hours at the Yannantuono Burr Davis Sharpe Funeral Homes on 584 Gramatan Avenue in Mount Vernon on Thursday June 22nd from 4pm-8pm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Khalid’s name to the organizations listed below.
Following Jummah prayer on Friday, June 23rd, will be the Salat al-Janazah (the Islamic funeral prayer) at the Westchester Muslim Center at 22 Brookfield Road in Mount Vernon.* There will be a private burial service to follow the prayers, to be held at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
Following the burial, a simple reception is planned at 49 Brookwood Drive in Briarcliff Manor. All are welcome, and the family would greatly appreciate your presence, condolences, and memories of their beloved Khalid at the reception.
Also, there will be a Quran Khani on Saturday June 24th at the same mosque in Mt Vernon at 615 pm (between Asr and Mughrib with Iftar to follow).
* For those unfamiliar with Muslim customs, appropriate attire is required at the mosque, including ankle-length clothing, elbow-length or longer sleeves (no bare shoulders or upper arms). Women are required to cover their heads with a scarf. Footwear is not important because you will be removing your shoes before entering the mosque. For more details kindly see: http://imamsofamerica.weebly.com/visiting-a-mosque.html.
Please direct donations in honor of Khalid Butt to your choice of the following organizations:
Transplant Support Organization (TSO)
1335 Mace Ave.
Bronx, NY. 10469
212-222-8386
American Transplant Foundation
600 17th Street, Suite 2515 South
​Denver, Colorado 80202
303-757-0959
Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO) Manhattan
PO Box 53
Lenox Hill Station
New York, NY 10021
347-427-7764
American Society of Transplant Surgeons Foundation
2461 South Clark St., Suite 640
Arlington, VA 22202
703-414-7870