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).

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.

The old adage that age is just a number actually became a lifesaver for 71-year-old Rex Parton.

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.

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).

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.

Because donor organs are scarce, understanding the mortality risk associated with heart transplantation is an important consideration when evaluating patients for transplant.