Vanderbilt Heart Signature Program

Vanderbilt Medical Center performed its first heart transplant in April 1985. Today we perform approximately 20 transplants each year. We provide heart transplantation for adult and pediatric patients. Since its beginning, the program's total experience exceeds 500 heart transplants.

VHVI Heart Transplant Program In the News:

Heart procedure bus precious time
(The Reporter, Dec. 14, 2007)

Additions boost cardiology program
(The Reporter, Oct. 27, 2006)

What is a heart transplant?

A heart transplant is a surgical procedure performed to remove the diseased heart from a patient and replace it with a healthy one from an organ donor.  In order for a heart to be removed from the donor, two or more physicians must declare the donor brain-dead.

Before a heart transplant patient can be put on a waiting list for a heart transplant, a physician must make the determination that there is no other treatment route for the person's heart failure.  The process of heart transplantation takes a team effort from the evaluation to the recovery phase.  Our heart transplant teams consist of physicians, nurses, dietitians, social workers, and cardiac rehabilitation specialists.  All of our team members work in conjunction to aid in the success of our heart transplant patients.

Click here to learn more about
Vanderbilt's Heart Transplant Program