William Hiesinger, MD and Patpilai Kasinpila, MD (left to right) preparing the anastomosis sites on the donor heart prior to implantation.
Doctor Stories
With a Long History of Success, the Stanford Health Care Heart Transplant Program Ranks Among the Top in the Nation
For more than 55 years, Stanford Health Care has been at the forefront of the latest advances in heart transplantation. The most recent report from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) reflects the long-term success of the Stanford Health Care Heart Transplant Program. Published on July 9, 2024, the SRTR report ranks Stanford Health Care among the top heart transplant programs in the nation in several categories, including graft and patient survival rates, transplant rate, and time to transplant.
A long legacy of innovation and excellence
In 1968, Stanford Health Care made history as the first program in the nation to successfully perform a heart transplant. Since then, our renowned cardiovascular team has continued to spearhead innovative treatments and techniques.
In 2022, Joseph Woo, MD, chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine, led a team of cardiothoracic surgeons to perform the world’s first beating-heart transplant. This complex procedure allows oxygen to continue to flow to the heart during transplantation. The uninterrupted flow of oxygen reduces the risk of injury to the heart muscle.
CARE AT STANFORD
We’re recognized worldwide as leaders in heart failure care and heart transplantation, achieving excellent outcomes with shorter-than-expected wait times.
650-723-5468
Jeffrey Teuteberg, MD
As the longest-running heart transplant program in the United States, a critical component of Stanford Health Care's Heart Transplant Program's track record of success is its focus on innovation and high-quality care. “We’re using groundbreaking techniques that are built on the strong foundation of our program,” says Jeffrey Teuteberg, MD, section chief of the Heart Failure, Cardiac Transplantation, and Mechanical Circulatory Support programs at Stanford Health Care. “As a team, we continue to look ahead while pioneering the latest advances in solid organ transplantation.”
The most recent SRTR outcomes reflect an exceptional standard of care
According to the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database (data available since 1989), Stanford has performed more than 1900 heart transplants. The most recent SRTR report, which evaluates 150 adult heart transplant centers in the U.S., ranks the Stanford Health Care Heart Transplant Program as one of the best in the nation. Specifically, the program leads the way in:
- Transplant rate: Stanford Health Care has the highest observed transplant rate in the region (which includes California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico) and is in the top 10 in the nation. SRTR notes that this metric has the highest impact on survival following a heart transplant.
- Graft survival rates: The Stanford Health Care 1-year graft survival rate is 91.97%, compared to the national average of 91.66%. The Stanford Health Care 3-year graft survival rate is 88.11%, compared to the national average of 84.40%.
- Organ offer-acceptance ratio: Stanford Health Care has the highest offer-acceptance ratio in the region and is in the top 5 in the nation.
- Patient survival rates: The Stanford Health Care 1-year patient survival rate is 92.75%, compared to the national average of 92.06%. The Stanford Health Care 3-year patient survival rate is 88.57%, compared to the national average of 84.98%.
- Time to transplant: Stanford Health Care has the shortest wait time in the region. The program is among the top 3 in the nation for this metric.
Exceeding the national averages year after year
As one of the busiest heart transplant programs in the U.S., Stanford Health Care continues to have excellent long-term survival rates. For years, the program has consistently exceeded national averages in both patient and graft survival.
National leader in solid organ transplantation
Stanford Health Care has also demonstrated excellence in other types of transplantation, including heart-lung, lung, kidney, and liver. The solid organ transplant team is widely recognized for their outstanding outcomes. The team is also committed to improving organ utilization to provide organs to growing number of people who need them. Highlights include:
- Extensive experience: According to the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database (data available since 1989), Stanford’s lung transplant program performed more than 1000 lung transplants. They performed the first kidney transplant in California in 1960. They are also one of the largest multi-organ transplant centers in the nation, with unparalleled expertise in lung-liver, lung-kidney, and heart-lung and kidney transplantation.
- Excellent survival rates: With patient and graft survival rates that regularly exceed the national averages, Stanford Health Care is a proven leader in all types of solid organ transplantation.
- Safer, less invasive organ retrieval for living donors: Through the Stanford Health Care Living Donor Campaign, the team uses laparoscopic and robotic techniques to retrieve livers and kidneys from living donors. Stanford Health Care was the first in Northern California to use robotic-assisted techniques to retrieve a kidney from a living donor. These less invasive retrieval techniques lower the risk of complications for donors, thereby encouraging them to give lifesaving organs.
Learn more about heart transplantation at Stanford Health Care
To find out more about how Stanford Health Care is advancing transplant medicine, please visit the Stanford Health Care Heart Transplant Program or call 650-723-5468. To refer your patients, please email the referral center or call 1-866-742-4811.
Image courtesy of Winston L. Trope.
About Stanford Health Care
Stanford Health Care seeks to heal humanity through science and compassion, one patient at a time, through its commitment to care, educate and discover. Stanford Health Care delivers clinical innovation across its inpatient services, specialty health centers, physician offices, virtual care offerings and health plan programs.
Stanford Health Care is part of Stanford Medicine, a leading academic health system that includes the Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care, and Stanford Children’s Health, with Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Stanford Medicine is renowned for breakthroughs in treating cancer, heart disease, brain disorders and surgical and medical conditions. For more information, visit: www.stanfordhealthcare.org.