Quality Reports - Solid Organ Transplant
Survival - heart transplant
Why we measure it - Overwhelmingly, survival is the first and most important statistic parents and others ask about. In general, centers that have high survival rates for the most complex cases, including transplants, generally have high survival rates for all types of heart procedures.
What this means - Children's Hospital's Herma Heart Center has a consistently high early survival rate for all children undergoing heart surgery.
About the data - These data reflect survival rates for pediatric heart transplant patients from 2001 through 2008 for the first 1,200 days after transplant. These data are publicly reported to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients for benchmarking purposes.
Related dimensions of care:
 
What we're doing to provide the best care:
- We have the only cardiothoracic surgeons in the state of Wisconsin with American Board of Thoracic Surgery Certificates in Congenital Heart Surgery.
- We have experienced rapid growth in the Heart Transplant Program over the last three years with a total of 69 heart transplants since inception of the program in 1991.
- The Heart Transplant program participates in the Pediatric Heart Transplant Study, a network of large volume centers geared toward sharing information and providing opportunities for collaborative research.
- Heart transplant patients have access to pediatric PT/OT, speech and rehabilitation specialists to enhance and speed recovery. A dedicated pediatric psychologist, pharmacist, social worker and child life specialist consistently are involved to help children and families through the transplant process and facilitate the transition to home, school and work.
- The Heart Transplant Program continues to participate as one of 10 centers selected in the FDA-approved trial for the Berlin Heart Ventricular Assist Device in children as a bridge to cardiac transplant.
- We offer ABO-incompatible heart transplants, which decreases wait times as well as prevents wait-list deaths.
- The heart program was named a Blue Distinction program by Blue Cross Blue Shield, an award for organizations demonstrating expertise in the delivery of quality care.
- Children's Hospital is one of the first centers with successful application of a virtual cross-match strategy for heart transplant patients. Virtual cross-match can lead to better outcomes and shorter wait-list times and allows transplant physicians to risk-stratify patients eligible for heart transplant. Collaborating with the BloodCenter of Wisconsin allows Children's Hospital to transplant more patients who are highly sensitized.
- We offer extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and state-of-the-art pulsatile mechanical support.
- The Heart Transplant Program is a part of Herma Heart Center, one of the top 10 pediatric heart programs in the nation.
- In 2006, the Herma Heart Center developed the Pediatric Heart Failure Program to promote early recognition and optimize care of children with advanced heart failure who may need transplantation services.
Patients/Families:
- Take a virtual tour of Children's Hospital, which will help prepare you and your child for a hospital stay.
- Make sure your child has a dental check-up before surgery and is free of mouth sores and infections.
- Talk with your doctor about the timing of immunizations related to surgery.
- Be an advocate for your child. Participate in daily bedside clinical discussions, and provide any information about your child that may be helpful to staff.
- Follow medical instructions fully and carefully before and after surgery.
- Ask questions if you don't understand the plan of care or if you are not sure how to care for your child at home.
- Attend any and all follow-up appointments.
- Protect your child from environmental risks such as second-hand smoke and other ill children.
If you have questions about these data or information, e-mail us or call (414) 266-6556.
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