Tufts Medical Center performed 61 adult heart transplants in 2023, breaking its own record

Tufts Medical Center has broken its own record for the number of heart transplants completed in a single calendar year in the New England region, the hospital said in a press release. 

The center announced Monday that it completed 61 adult heart transplants in 2023, breaking its previous record set in 2016 by five procedures. The milestone makes the center the first in New England to reach that number of transplants in a year.

“[This milestone] is so important for the patients that we serve and their families,” Amanda Vest, MBBS, medical director of the Advanced Heart Failure Program at Tufts Medical Center, told Boston.com. “It’s wonderful to be able to help our patients who have very advanced heart disease access heart transplantation and fantastic to have more opportunities to help more and more patients here.”

Vest said the success of the heart transplant program can be attributed to the center being at the forefront of technological innovations that allow for faster and longer transportation of organs. Vest specifically said a new portable enclosure system designed to preserve donor hearts known as TransMedics Organ Care System has allowed the center to obtain hearts from across the country. 

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the number of adult heart transplants completed in the U.S. increased by more than 11% from 2022 to 2023. The rise can be attributed to evolving perfusion technology and more effective donor recovery practices, UNOS said.

“We continue to remain at the forefront of the science and innovations that are helping to drive organ transplantation forward,” Vest said. “We have a long history of leading in the area of temporary mechanical support and being involved in new technologies to help keep our patients stable prior to heart transplantation. In addition, we continue to be very involved in these innovations in organ preservation and transplants and other technologies to help our patients thrive after transplantation.”

Tufts Medical Center has completed 750 adult heart transplants since it began performing the procedure in 1985. Since 2000, the center has completed the most adult heart transplants of any hospital in New England, according to the press release. 

“‘This achievement is a testament to the dedication and tireless work of Drs. Vest, [David] DeNofrio and [Gregory] Couper and their talented team of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, transplant coordinators and countless support staff,’” Marvin Konstam, MD, chief physician executive of The CardioVascular Center at Tufts Medical Center, said in the press release. “‘I was privileged to be present for our very first heart transplant in 1985, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see our program grow and thrive in the years since, ultimately becoming the gold standard for this lifesaving procedure in the New England region.’”

Vest also attributed the center’s achievement to the wide variety of medical professionals who work on the heart transplant team.

“Huge thank you to the extremely talented and compassionate multi-disciplinary team who make this possible,” she said. “We’re fortunate to have wonderful colleagues.”

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