Transplant Archive

April 8, 2026

Great Saves event reunites former patients with those who provided lifesaving care  

They and their families shared their journeys back to health, from initial illness followed by weeks to months in the SICU, to their ongoing rehabilitation and recovery. 

By Jill Clendening
April 2, 2026

Vanderbilt Health lung transplant patients, doctors climb highest peak in the Americas

Most of the 27 participants were able to reach altitudes of more than 18,000 feet — exclusively personal bests. All participants were under close medical supervision.

By Matt Batcheldor
March 27, 2026

Vanderbilt Lung Transplant Program sets new record

The program performed 149 lung transplants in 2025, the most ever in one year at Vanderbilt Health, and is now the second largest lung transplant center in the U.S.

By Matt Batcheldor
February 27, 2026

Multiple surgeries that open chest don’t add extra risk for transplant patients: Study

Researchers retrospectively reviewed 552 Vanderbilt Health patients from Jan. 2024 to Dec. 2025, placing them in 3 groups: those with no sternotomies, those with one, and those with two or more.

By Matt Batcheldor
Aaron Williams, MD, was recently recognized for developing a novel heart preservation technique that is expanding access to lifesaving transplants. (photo by Erin O. Smith)
February 13, 2026

Aaron Williams a ‘pioneer’ on 2026 TIME100 Health list of influential leaders

Williams helped lead the team that developed a method to preserve donor hearts for up to 12 hours — triple the typical four-hour window.

By Holly Fletcher
February 11, 2026

Heart preservation technique increases pool of organs available for transplant

The technique, termed REUP (rapid recovery with extended ultraoxygenated preservation), avoids traditional methods that reanimate the heart within or outside the donor’s body.

By Matt Batcheldor
February 3, 2026

1,000 lungs and countless more breaths: Vanderbilt Transplant Center commemorates landmark

Vanderbilt Health's fourth lung transplant patient is thought to be the world's record holder for longevity following a single lung transplant.
By Matt Batcheldor
January 21, 2026

New donor organ storage method helps reduce rates of severe primary graft dysfunction

Methods such as the cold storage system make it possible to preserve organs for longer after donation, expanding the pool of available organs.
By Matt Batcheldor
January 14, 2026

Vanderbilt Transplant Center nation’s largest after performing record number of solid organ transplants in 2025

Through dramatic growth, the VTC is now the largest transplant center in the country by volume, according to data from the United Network for Organ Sharing.
By Matt Batcheldor
December 23, 2025

Vanderbilt Health performs record number of adult and pediatric heart transplants during 2025

As in prior years, the success of Vanderbilt Health’s transplant program is a testament to the greatness of individuals and innovations alike and to the tremendous power of teamwork.
By Matt Batcheldor
December 15, 2025

Vanderbilt’s Seth Karp testifies about continuing need to increase organs available for transplant

More than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for an organ transplant, and about 13 people die each day waiting.
By Matt Batcheldor
November 20, 2025

Ukrainian surgeons again come to VUMC to observe transplant protocols

With the help of the Vanderbilt Transplant Center and other centers, Ukraine has developed a growing transplant program in the country in the last five years.
By Matt Batcheldor
November 3, 2025

A walking miracle — patient receives three major surgeries sequentially

The patient, Theresa Stratman of Louisville, Kentucky, is now able to get to her continuing medical appointments and live without medical oxygen.
By Matt Batcheldor