Department of Cardiac Surgery

Vanderbilt’s 2,000th heart transplant patient, Wes Carter, with his family: wife, Ashley, daughter, Presley (4) and son, Gentry (7).
January 6, 2025

Heart transplant program reaches new landmark

The recipient of the 2,000th transplant was Wes Carter, 37, a real estate agent from Pensacola, Florida, who first noticed an irregular heart rhythm in his mid-20s.

By Matt Batcheldor
(iStock)
December 6, 2024

VUMC part of team developing advanced life-support tech for battlefield injured

Battlefield medics often have limited resources, time and expertise to provide life-sustaining, emergency care for those critically injured.

By Jill Clendening
Vanderbilt’s Ashish Shah, MD (in white coat); with Ukrainian physicians, from left, Roman Buriak, MD, PhD; Vadym Mykolaienko, MD; Maksym Konodiuk, MD; Oleg Zhurba, MD, PhD; Yevhen Yarmilko, MD; and Vadym Golub, MD. (photo by Erin O. Smith)
November 21, 2024

Ukrainian team visits VUMC to hone transplant surgery skills

With the help of Vanderbilt and other transplant centers, Ukraine has developed a growing transplant program in the country in the last four years.

By Matt Batcheldor
Heart patient Lisa Kimbrell, right, with her sister, Rebecca Bickerton.
November 14, 2024

Teams help patient survive multiple traumatic injuries

In August 2022 Lisa Kimbrell was involved in a near-fatal wreck. A year later two dogs attacked her and sent her back to the hospital.

By Matt Batcheldor
Transplant patient Bill Jackson. (photo by Matt Batcheldor)
November 7, 2024

Transplant patient’s indomitable spirit proves inspirational

Bill Jackson received a heart and double lung transplant, an unusual procedure performed only a handful of times each year at VUMC and one that can occur at only the most specialized transplant centers.

By Matt Batcheldor
David Bichell, MD
October 15, 2024

David Bichell stepping down as chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Under Bichell’s leadership, the pediatric heart transplant program has consistently had among the highest transplant volumes in the United States, ranking eighth in 2023 for pediatric heart transplant center volumes with 15 transplants performed.

By Christina Echegaray
May 17, 2024

A Mother’s Day to remember

Melissia Boynton got the call about 3 a.m. on Mother’s Day that her new heart was available. Immediately, her plans changed from a barbecue around the family pool to a middle-of-the-night drive to Nashville to get her new heart.
By Matt Batcheldor
April 8, 2024

Lung transplant patient, family glad they came to a place where ‘every single person cared’

Mike Boston was turned down by eight hospitals for a double lung transplant, which would be his second, because none believed he would survive the surgery. Finally, doctors at one medical center — VUMC — thought he might.
By Matt Batcheldor
February 2, 2024

Novel device helps extend window of time to preserve hearts donated after cardiac death

In the first such procedure, Vanderbilt University Medical Center has transplanted a DCD (donation after cardiac death) heart using XVIVO Heart Assist Transport (XHAT), a novel cold organ perfusion device.
By Matt Batcheldor
December 14, 2023

VUMC performs its first combined lung and liver transplant

Connie Rankin of Memphis, Tennessee, received Vanderbilt's first combined lung and liver transplant, which involved dozens of specialists, including transplant teams for both organs.
By Matt Batcheldor
September 27, 2023

VUMC performs novel reoperative lung and kidney transplant

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has performed its first combined reoperative lung and kidney transplant.
By Matt Batcheldor
April 13, 2023

Process rehabilitates donor livers for transplantation

Vanderbilt research demonstrated that injured human donor livers declined for transplant can be recovered by cross-circulation between the human liver and a xenogeneic host, or animal platform.
By Matt Batcheldor
April 6, 2023

System repairs donor lungs for transplantation

A Vanderbilt team has discovered that donor lungs rejected for transplant can be repaired using cross-circulation with a xenogeneic host.
By Matt Batcheldor
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