The Pediatric Heart Transplant Program at Children's Memorial is the largest and most comprehensive program of its kind in the state. Since performing Illinois' first pediatric heart transplant in 1988, the program has become an internationally recognized resource in the area of pediatric heart transplantation.
The multidisciplinary team offers highly specialized and innovative care for infants and children with a wide array of diagnoses, including complex congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathies, genetic etiologies, and cardiac arrhythmias. For example, Children's Memorial was first hospital in Illinois to implant the Berlin Heart, a breakthrough technology that helps children awaiting heart transplants. Watch the NBC5 video.
The program is led by Dr. Carl Backer, surgical director of heart transplantation, and Dr. Elfriede Pahl, medical director of heart transplantation, who combined have more than 40 years of heart transplantation experience.
Program highlights
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It boasts exceptional first-year survival rates of more than 95% and patients have impressive longer-term recovery, with most experiencing no limitations to normal childhood activity just one year after surgery. With the national average for first-year survival rates at about 89%, this puts us in the top tier of all pediatric heart transplant centers.
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It is one of the few programs that offer re-transplantation for patients that develop transplant coronary artery disease.
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It is one of few programs that offer ABO incompatible transplantation to infants less than one year old requiring a heart transplant.
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Our surgeons can operate on patients who are on mechanical circulatory support, such as ECMO, the Thoratec VAD system, and the Berlin Heart.
About heart disease and transplantation
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Approximately eight out of every 1,000 babies born every year in the U.S. have a heart defect. Children with forms of congenital heart disease previously considered untreatable are now undergoing corrective operations with increasing success; however, in some cases, heart transplantation is the only option.
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Acquired heart disease, such as cardiomyopathy, and congenital defects are the leading causes for most pediatric heart transplants.
- Although they must take medications each day for the rest of their lives to prevent rejection and infection, children have no physical restrictions after heart transplants.