Department of Cardiac Surgery Archive — Page 1 of 7

Three men pose indoors; the center man in a white medical coat holds a North Patchogue Fire Department appreciation plaque, with a man in a black shirt on the left and a man in a navy shirt on the right.
October 14, 2026

Chance encounter brings New York firefighter to Vanderbilt Health for heart transplant

Bob Meyer got on the heart transplant list locally in New York. He had no way of knowing at the time that a chance encounter would point him to the Vanderbilt Transplant Center, and he would receive a new heart nearly 1,000 miles away.

By Matt Batcheldor
A young girl with long light-brown hair wears a bright pink patterned cap and pink shirt while being held outdoors; she appears to be calling out or laughing.
October 7, 2026

First-of-its-kind heart transplant gives Sissy a second chance

The novel technique could help increase the number of donor hearts available to children awaiting transplant and reduce the time they spend waiting.

By Christina Echegaray
Vanderbilt Health performed a record number of solid organ transplants in fiscal year 2026 — 981 lifesaving procedures among its adult and pediatric programs. (photo by Erin O. Smith)
October 7, 2026

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt leads breakthrough heart recovery method for pediatric transplants

Surgeons reported using the novel technique known as REUP (rapid recovery with extended ultraoxygenated preservation) to transplant five donor hearts in children. Since then, five more children were saved successfully.

By Christina Echegaray
Four masked surgical staff in gowns and gloves work around an anesthetized patient under bright operating-room lights during heart transplant surgery.
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
Vanderbilt Health performed a record number of solid organ transplants in fiscal year 2026 — 981 lifesaving procedures among its adult and pediatric programs. (photo by Erin O. Smith)
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