Lurie Children’s (Children’s Memorial Hospital at that time) performed Illinois’ first pediatric heart transplant in 1988. Our Pediatric Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation Program, the only program of its kind in the state and the second largest pediatric heart transplant program in the country, is widely known for its abilities to provide lifesaving treatment to infants, children and young adults with severe heart disease.
Performing an average of 15 heart transplants each year, our surgeons transplant young patients who have a wide array of complex and high-risk conditions. Patients’ heart problems range from those present at birth (congenital) to arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy.
Despite the complexity of our patients’ conditions, our patient outcomes are better than national averages for pediatric transplant centers. Specifically, our three-year survival rates for patients and the graft (new heart) are above 90%, compared with the 83% national average. Additionally, our wait list times are much shorter than average. Half of our patients receive a heart within one month, far below the average of 5.6 months.
The Families with Cardiomyopathy Clinic offers evaluation and treatment for patients with familial cardiomyopathy. In our unique approach, the whole family is seen during the same clinic visit.
Examining cardiomyopathy in parents and children at the same time allows us to develop specialized treatment plans that are customized to your family’s genetic needs. In addition, combining the parents’ cardiac visit with their children’s visit allows for fewer trips to the cardiologist, and fewer missed school and work days. We also offer ongoing treatment, second opinions and genetic evaluation.
The clinic is a collaboration between Lurie Children’s Heart Center and the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern Medicine. It is the only clinic of its kind in Illinois.
We provide family-centered care, which means the entire family is involved in the patient’s treatment plan. We use a multidisciplinary team to plan your child’s treatment so that your child gets the most comprehensive care possible, along with many support programs. Our team members are from various healthcare specialties, and they bring a variety of experiences to the table. They will all weigh in on your child’s treatment and use their combined perspectives to create a holistic care plan that focuses on the whole person.
Lurie Children’s pioneers research on how to improve children’s congenital heart disease and cardiomyopathy treatment, while also researching the causes of childhood heart disease. Current studies focus on topics such as improving quality of life after a transplant and reducing the risk of organ rejection. The hospital is a founding member of the Pediatric Heart Transplant Study, a group of hospitals that share a research database dedicated to advancing children’s transplant care.
Our heart transplant program offers unique treatments, including:
The program also offers a bridge or long-term option to transplant using a wide range of ventricular assist devices.
Your child’s first appointment with the heart transplant team may include:
After consulting each other, the team will decide if a heart transplant is suitable for your child. If so, we’ll provide support and education through every step of the transplant process and beyond.
Whether your child is a candidate for a transplant or not, we have the advanced resources needed to care for your child. Our 44-bed Regenstein Cardiac Care Unit provides 24-hour intensive care when needed.
Our heart transplant team has the skill and expertise to operate successfully on high-risk patients whom other centers think cannot receive a heart transplant.
The heart transplant program is led by Carl Backer, MD, surgical director, and Elfriede Pahl, MD, medical director, who have more than 40 years of heart transplant experience combined. Both have been with the program since it began 25 years ago. The program's cardiologists are Katheryn E. Gambetta, MD, and Philip T. Thrush, MD.
If you’d like to request an appointment with one of our heart transplant specialists, call 1.800.543.7362 (1.800.KIDS DOC®).
Lurie Children's has long been a pioneer in the treatment of congenital heart disease and cardiomyopathy in children. Research into causes and outcomes of pediatric heart disease has been a critical component of the Heart Center at Lurie Children's since the early 1960s.
Each year, approximately eight out of every 1,000 babies born will have a heart defect. Over the past 50 years, tremendous technological advances made possible through research have allowed diagnostic and surgical expertise to flourish with better outcomes and longer life expectancy for these patients.
Transplantation-related research has been directed toward the understanding of mechanisms in chronic rejection, establishment of tolerance and xenotransplantation.
Your support is vital in helping us continue to make a difference in the lives of patients and families. Lurie Children’s relies on philanthropic funding to enhance its programs, services and research for children. To learn more, please e-mail the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Foundation at foundation@luriechildrens.org or call 312.227.7500.
