The Vanderbilt Transplant Center had a banner year in 2024, setting a world record by performing 174 adult and pediatric heart transplants. The number of patients whose lives were saved by Vanderbilt’s heart transplant team far surpasses any previous total by an individual transplant center.
“I have to say, even I was surprised at the final number of transplants,” said Ashish Shah, MD, professor and chair of Cardiac Surgery. “But this one year was really built on 10 years of hard work, innovation and our reputation to do difficult things.”
Kelly Schlendorf, MD, associate professor of Medicine and section head of Heart Failure and Transplantation, is quick to point out that a busy transplant program depends on a busy waitlist.
“Equally important to achieving our volume,” Schlendorf said, “is a widespread heart failure outreach presence and the tremendous efforts of our multidisciplinary team in shepherding patients quickly through an extensive transplant evaluation process while simultaneously taking care of their heart failure.”
Schlendorf notes that in 2024, more than 500 patients were referred to Vanderbilt for transplant consideration from more than 15 U.S. states, including many patients considered too high risk for transplant at other programs.
Vanderbilt transplanted 36% more hearts in 2024 than 2023. In 2024, 10 of the lifesaving procedures were performed on pediatric patients.
Shah, who holds the Alfred Blalock Directorship in Cardiac Surgery, and Schlendorf agree that a major factor in the growth was that VUMC increasingly accepts organs that other centers decline and has successful outcomes because of its advanced organ preservation technologies. They also credit an organ recovery team that can mobilize at a moment’s notice and fly throughout the country, and expertise in cardiac anesthesia, intensive care, infectious diseases and other disciplines that help care for patients during and after surgery.
“This milestone reflects the extraordinary skill of our entire transplant team and the seamless collaboration across every aspect of patient care,” said Bret Alvis, MD, associate professor of Anesthesiology and interim medical director of the Surgical Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit. “It’s truly exciting to see how our combined efforts continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in heart transplantation.”
Maricar Malinis, MD, associate professor of Medicine and medical director of the Transplant Infectious Diseases Program, said, “We are honored to be part of this significant achievement. Each specialty, including infectious diseases, plays a crucial role in optimizing transplant candidates before surgery and minimizing potential post-transplant complications. Transplantation truly is a team effort, with the shared goal of enhancing patients’ quality of life.”
The transplant team includes cardiologists and cardiac surgeons, intensivists, nurses, advanced practice providers, pharmacists, social workers, case managers, rehab specialists, financial coordinators, nutritionists, organ procurement coordinators, preservationists, operating room staff, cardiac anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists, among others, led on the adult side by Shah and Schlendorf and on the pediatric side by Carlos Mery, MD, MPH, professor and chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt; and David Bearl, MD, MBA, associate professor of Pediatrics and medical director of the Pediatric Heart Transplant Program at Monroe Carell.
