Atlanta, Ga. – Piedmont Heart Institute set a new organizational record in 2022, by performing 43 heart transplants in the calendar year, a 258 percent increase from years prior. The heart transplant program started 10 years ago and has since performed more than 143 heart transplants.
Piedmont performed 37 heart transplants alone in the last six months of the year.
“Our physicians are passionate about finding new ways to serve our patients and it is reflected in the tremendous increase in volumes we have seen this year, said David Kandzari, M.D., Chief of Piedmont Heart Institute and the Cardiovascular Service Line; Director, Interventional Cardiology of the Piedmont Heart Institute; and Chief Scientific Officer for Piedmont Healthcare. “In addition, we could not do the important work that we do without the great contribution made by LifeLink of Georgia, our Organ Procurement Organization.”
In July 2022, Piedmont Heart welcomed Ezequiel J. Molina, M.D., as the new surgical program director of Advanced Heart Failure, Transplant, and Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS). Dr. Molina specializes in heart transplantation, durable LVAD implantation and surgical therapies for cardiogenic shock. He is also proficient in all aspects of adult cardiac surgery, including surgical coronary revascularization, aortic aneurysms, valve surgery, and complex re-operative surgery.
Dr. Molina, along with Robert Cole, M.D., medical director of Advanced Heart Failure, Transplant, and Mechanical Circulatory Support, have built upon the reputation of Piedmont Heart for excellence in cardiovascular care, and have greatly increased the success of the program.
“Our team’s passion and commitment to providing high-quality heart transplant care is the reason we are able to offer this lifesaving therapy to so many patients,” said Dr. Molina.
The team is already off to a great start to 2023, already completing 9 heart transplants since January 1, 2023.
“The incredibly talented physicians of Piedmont Heart Institute continue to make great contributions to the patients of our state and beyond by bringing innovative treatments and clinical trials to Georgia that are saving lives,” said Charles L. Brown III, M.D., CEO of Piedmont’s Healthcare’s Physician Enterprise. “We are very excited about the growth of our heart transplant program and how this enables even more patients to receive Piedmont Transplant’s high-quality, patient-centered care.”
There are currently 3,300 Americans on the waiting list for a heart transplant, with 104 people currently waiting on a new heart in the state of Georgia, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.
“As a top destination for cardiac care and international leader in cardiovascular research, Piedmont Heart is invested in helping people across the country receive top quality cardiovascular care,” said Dr. Molina. “With the growth of Piedmont Heart’s transplant program, we hope to help more people with heart failure receive a new heart.”
For more information on Piedmont Heart Institute, including heart failure and heart transplant services, please visit piedmont.org/heart.