heart transplant

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
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
Melissia Boynton speaks with a visitor a few days after her heart transplant. (photo by Kylie Avery)
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
Recovery team members included, from left, Will Tucker, MD, Stephen DeVries, DMSc, PA-C, and Christopher Schwartz, RN.
May 17, 2024

VUMC team travels to Alaska to recover a donor heart

The 5,704 nautical-mile trip is the farthest VUMC has traveled for an organ. The remarkable journey illustrates how new technologies make it possible to preserve organs longer, allowing Vanderbilt to look farther for a match.

By Matt Batcheldor
Ashton Bertel, left, and Lexi Browning were among the patients who came to the pediatric transplant transition day. (photo by Susan Urmy)
April 1, 2024

Event introduces pediatric transplant patients to their new adult transplant team providers

VUMC’s adult and pediatric heart transplant programs recently collaborated to create a pediatric transplant transition day, a new event where pediatric transplant patients meet with their new adult transplant team providers to begin the transition to those providers.

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
October 5, 2023

Study finds no difference in heart transplant outcomes using organs donated after circulatory death and after brain death

A Vanderbilt study found no difference in one-year survival and other outcomes among heart transplant patients who received their new organs from from donation after circulatory death and donation after brain death.
By Matt Batcheldor
July 7, 2023

Pediatric Heart Transplant Program medical director Debra Dodd retiring

After nearly 40 years and being involved in more than 300 lifesaving transplantations at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Debra Dodd, MD, is retiring.
By Jessica Pasley
February 24, 2022

Heart/liver transplant gives congenital heart disease patient new hope

Last year, Liz Barnett became one of seven people at Vanderbilt University Medical Center to receive a combined heart/liver transplant in 2021.
By Matt Batcheldor
October 28, 2021

The challenge of rejection

Minimizing variation in how rejection is diagnosed and creating standardized surveillance protocols may help inform best practices in pediatric heart transplants.
By VUMC News and Communications
March 24, 2021

New record for pediatric heart transplant program

The heart transplant program at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt experienced back-to-back record years for the number of heart transplants performed.
By Jessica Pasley
January 12, 2021

VUMC now leads world in heart transplantation

Vanderbilt University Medical Center performed more heart transplants in 2020 than any other center in the world — 124 adult hearts, 23 pediatric hearts and VUMC’s first heart-lung transplant since 2006.
By Matt Batcheldor
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