Heart Transplant
At the Heart Center, our heart transplant program is "Medicare approved" by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is one of only three programs in the state and 89 in the nation where Medicare will pay for a heart transplant procedure. Our one-year survival rate for heart transplant patients is 97 percent, compared with a national average of 85 percent.
Our expertise in ventricular assist devices offers new hope to critically ill heart transplant patients. Mechanical heart pumps are being successfully used to keep patients alive until a donor heart can be found. One battery-powered model can be worn around the waist, allowing patients to leave the hospital while they wait for a heart transplant.
About Heart Transplants at the Heart Center
A multidisciplinary team of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, nurses, and support personnel work to identify the best treatment for each patient. Each patient is evaluated fully, and in collaboration with the patient, the patient's family, and the patient's referring physician, a plan of action is recommended. Most patients with heart failure can be stabilized temporarily. For those who cannot, a heart transplant may be an option. Our protocols have been developed not only to provide the best possible patient care and outcomes, but also to be cost-effective.
Learn more about heart surgery and the Heart Center of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.