Department of Cardiac Surgery

January 25, 2018

Heart transplant program reaches new record

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) performed a record number of heart transplants in 2017, surpassing the 2016 milestone and securing its place as the second-busiest heart transplant program in the country.

By Jessica Pasley
November 2, 2017

Tenacity, teamwork, love, drive heart patient’s treatment journey

Sixty-six year-old Frank Donatelli knew the $39 he spent to join eHarmony was worth it.

By Jessica Pasley
August 31, 2017

Novel approach expanded transplant patient’s options

South Carolina resident Amy Binkley is used to making tough decisions for her daughter, Savannah Parks.

By Jessica Pasley
August 3, 2017

VUMC testing new system to keep donor hearts viable longer

For decades the miracle of organ donation has relied on an ice cooler. Until now.

By Jessica Pasley
July 20, 2017

Shah named to lead Department of Cardiac Surgery

Ashish Shah, M.D., director of Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at Vanderbilt, has been named chair of the Department of Cardiac Surgery.

By Jessica Pasley
July 7, 2017

Veteran receives rare dual transplant of heart and liver at Vanderbilt

A veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard recently received a new heart and liver at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), one of only a handful of hospitals that have performed the dual transplant surgery this year.

By Tom Wilemon
June 22, 2017

Event celebrates Vanderbilt heart transplant program’s achievements

Patients, faculty and staff gathered in Langford Auditorium on June 12 to celebrate Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) milestone 1,000th heart transplant.
By Jessica Pasley
February 2, 2017

Heart transplant program at VUMC reaches new milestone

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is home to the second busiest heart transplant program in the country, according to the most recent data released by the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN).
By Jessica Pasley
September 15, 2016

Larger transplant centers produce improved outcomes: study

How many heart transplant programs do we really need? That was a question posed by a group of investigators, including Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Ashish Shah, M.D., in a novel study that used a computerized algorithm to highlight the value of high-volume transplant centers with corresponding improved outcomes.
By Jessica Pasley
August 18, 2016

Age no barrier for patient’s transplant surgery success

The old adage that age is just a number actually became a lifesaver for 71-year-old Rex Parton.
By Jessica Pasley
August 4, 2016

Heart transplant program among busiest in U.S.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s heart transplant program is ranked No. 2 nationwide in volume for its combined adult and pediatric procedures, according to the most recent data released by Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) in July.
By Jessica Pasley
April 14, 2016

Heart Institute celebrates LVAD program milestone

On April 7, a 48-year-old man from Bethpage, Tennessee, became the 300th person to receive a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) at Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute (VHVI).
By Kathy Whitney
February 25, 2016

Focus on care, quality drives heart transplant program

As the largest heart transplant program in the Southeast, the Vanderbilt Transplant Center is ranked No. 1 in volume for the combined adult and pediatric heart transplant program, according to the latest Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) data.
By Jessica Pasley