Atlanta, Ga. (August 25, 2025) – Piedmont Transplant Institute and Piedmont Heart Institute surgeons have performed a rare joint liver-heart transplant. The joint transplant for an adult patient is the first one of its kind in Georgia in a decade – and only the second adult procedure performed in the state. Only 50 dual liver-heart transplants have ever been performed in the southeastern United States, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).
Poor heart function can negatively impact the liver and vice versa; certain conditions can damage both organs at the same time as well. Transplant surgery for either organ requires the other to be strong enough to withstand the patient having major surgery, and that is often not the case for this patient population. For example, according to one study, the mortality rate for patients with advanced liver scarring (cirrhosis) who have a standalone heart transplant can be close to 50%.
“High-quality care for patients in both end-stage liver and heart failure must be multidisciplinary. Dual liver-heart transplantation is an important option for patients experiencing the failure of both organs,” said Jonathan Hundley, M.D., surgical director of the liver transplant program at Piedmont. “With the deep expertise of both our abdominal and heart transplant teams, we are in the position at Piedmont to join forces for these patients and perform this complex operation.”
“Each one of these surgeries will be a highly coordinated effort between our two teams,” added Ezequiel Molina, M.D., surgical director of the heart transplant program at Piedmont. “From selecting patients who are good candidates through the operation and post-operative care, we will collaborate on every aspect to ensure the best outcomes for patients.”
Piedmont has offered liver transplants for 20 years and heart transplants for 13. In that time, Piedmont Atlanta has become one of the busiest transplant centers in the country for standalone liver and heart transplantation. It is a top 10 program by number of patients for liver transplants and top 5 for heart transplants. In the most recent fiscal year that ended in June, surgeons performed 33% more liver transplants than the prior year. Over the last few years, the heart transplant program has experienced especially significant growth. Between fiscal years 2022 and 2023, there was a 500% increase in the number of heart transplants done at Piedmont Atlanta. This past fiscal year, there was another 24% bump in heart transplants. This expertise contributed to U.S. News and World Report naming Piedmont Heart Institute best in the State of Georgia for cardiology, heart and vascular surgery in 2025-2026 rankings. Meanwhile, since the first in 2005, over 2,100 liver transplants have taken place at Piedmont Atlanta.
Piedmont also offers combined kidney-heart, kidney-liver and kidney-pancreas transplants.