Heart transplant team performs milestone 500th procedure at AdventHealth

A little more than 12 years after performing its first heart transplant in 2012, the AdventHealth Transplant Institute (AHTI) passed a major milestone in August when it performed the program’s 500th heart transplant.

“It shows a commitment to the community and that we have success in getting our patients to heart transplant and doing it well.”, said Dr. Linda Bogar, a transplant surgeon and surgical director for the lung transplant program at AdventHealth Transplant Institute.

The heart transplant process, including pre- and post-surgical care, includes more than 30 team members from nine different disciplines at AdventHealth Orlando.

“There's a surgical team that's involved. There's a cardiology team that's involved. There's a tremendous multidisciplinary team including social workers and dieticians, psychiatry, physical therapy, all of the inpatient and outpatient nurses, our financial coordinators. It takes a lot of work, including assistance from the patient and the patient's family,” said Dr. Stacy Mandras, a transplant cardiologist and medical director of the hospital’s pulmonary hypertension program.

AdventHealth Transplant Institute is a leader in heart transplantation in the state of Florida. According to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), AHTI completed the most heart transplants in the state in the last 10-years.

“I think there should be a set of a sense of pride that this program is here (in Central Florida),” said Mandras.

Click HERE or on the video player at the top of the page for the story of one of those first 500 heart transplant patients at AdventHealth Transplant Institute.

Organ donation is a critical part of the process. But there is a shortage of donors in the U.S. according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration 17 people die every day waiting for an organ transplant.

“Without donors, we don't have transplants. And organ donation remains limited by donor availability,” Mandras said. “And so, anything that we can do to increase donor availability and awareness for organ donation would go a very long way to increasing the number of people who will ultimately receive the gift of life.”

By registering as a donor and spreading the word, you can help bridge the gap between the need and the supply of organs and tissues. Florida residents can sign up to be an organ donor by going to Donate Life Florida. It’s easy and can be done in about five minutes.