Transplant Surgery

The University of Illinois Medical Center has demonstrated its commitment to the people of Illinois by providing a state-of-the-art center for thoracic organ transplantation.

Heart Transplantation

Heart transplantation is only one option in an overall strategy for treatment of patients with advanced heart disease, including modification of lifestyles and risk factors as well as other medical and surgical treatments. Alternative medical and surgical options that may delay the need for transplantation, such as myocardial revascularization, mitral valve repair or replacement, left ventricular aneurysmectomy and left ventricular volume reduction surgery are also available and are discussed between the patient and the managing physician. Survival rates of patients who received heart transplantation at the University of Illinois Medical Center exceed national standards and the expectations of the United Network for Organ sharing (83 percent survival at one year after transplant.) During the past two years, 100 percent of heart transplant patients have survived.

Lung and Heart-Lung Transplantation

Specialists performed the Medical Center’s first adult heart-lung transplant on July 22, 1988, and first adult lung transplant on July 14, 1994. During the past five years, the program has grown steadily to become the second largest lung transplant program in Illinois. The University of Illinois Medical Center lung transplant program is an essential component of a broad medical and surgical strategy to manage patients with pulmonary disease, including lung volume reduction surgery. The overall one-year survival of the patients who received lung transplantation at the Medical Center is 78 percent. The figure reflects the national standards and the expectations of the United Network for Organ Sharing.

Mechanical Circulatory Support

The Medical Center has an active mechanical circulatory support program to help patients with acute cardiac or pulmonary decomposition. Circulatory support devices are available to provide term support with extracorpeal membrane oxygenators (ECMO) for postcardiotomy shock for patients suffering from acute respiratory failure not responsive to the currently available methods of care. BIOMEDICUS and ABIOMED 5000 circulatory support systems also provide short- and intermediate-term support for patients with ventricular failure. The recent addition of the HeartMate left ventricular assist device (LVAD) systems to the center’s armamentarium in 1996 provided patients and the team members an opportunity to participate in this state-of-the-art program.