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Cardiomyopathy, Heart Failure and Transplantation Program

Pediatric Heart Transplant Program

Since pediatric cardiomyopathy and heart failure can be progressive, the heart may deteriorate past the help of medication, mechanical treatments or surgery. When a patient no longer responds to other treatments, has persistent severe symptoms of heart failure, or suffers severe disability, a heart transplant is offered as a procedure of last resort.

Cardiomyopathy is the leading reason for heart transplantation in children. Roughly 20 percent of infants and children with symptomatic cardiomyopathy require a transplant within the first year of diagnosis. While a donor heart can cure the symptoms of heart failure and greatly improve survival, transplantation is a major operation with considerable risks.

Our Pediatric Heart Transplant Program specializes in transplanting children with end-stage congestive heart failure due to cardiomyopathy and children with complex congenital heart disease who are not candidates for palliative or corrective surgery. We have also successfully pioneered transplantations in high-risk patients who are not offered heart transplants elsewhere, including patients with severe, elevated pulmonary resistance.

Our multidisciplinary team approach has set the standard of care for children with end-stage heart failureachieving 84 percent overall long-term survival after hospital discharge. Four pediatric cardiologists, two pediatric transplant nurses, two research nurses, an office manager, and an assistant are dedicated to serving this program and work closely with leading pediatric sub-specialistsincluding transplant surgeons, neurologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and physical therapists to provide the most comprehensive care possible for complex conditions.

In addition to providing outstanding patient care, the Pediatric Heart Transplant Program stands at the forefront of pediatric heart failure research, including investigations of new strategies for post-transplant management. Dr. Linda Addonizio, director of our program, also co-founded the Pediatric Heart Transplant Study Group. Comprised of 23 institutions across North America, this group is responsible for a significant proportion of todays published research related to pediatric heart transplantation.