Heart Transplant Program
The Heart Transplant Program provides compassionate, state-of-the-art care to children with heart disorders. We have the technology and expertise to treat even the most complex heart problems.
We treat infants, children, teen and young adults from birth through age 21 for congenital heart defects, heart disease and heart failure in our Heart Transplant Clinic.
We’ve been performing heart transplantation surgeries at Children’s since 1994 and our outcomes are among the best in the nation. In 2005 our team performed 10 pediatric heart transplants.
For children with heart failure, we provide care before, during and after heart transplant.
Our team
Our heart transplant team is led by Dr. Gordon Cohen and Dr. Yuk Law.
A pioneer in his field, Dr. Cohen is the one of the first surgeons in the country to successfully perform a transplantation when the infant patient and donor heart had mismatched blood types. Dr. Cohen also made heart transplant history by moving another child—at 12 days old, the youngest patient to receive a heart transplant in the Pacific Northwest—from a heart-lung bypass machine to transplant.
Our transplant team is dedicated to helping your whole family return to an active, normal life.
What is a heart transplant?
A heart transplant is the process of removing a diseased heart and replacing it with a healthy heart from a deceased donor. This is a treatment option for children with heart defects or diseases that cause heart failure—a condition that can’t be treated by medications or any other type of surgery. The transplant process requires extensive preparation and lifelong follow-up care.
Illnesses that may lead to heart transplant in children include:
- Complex congenital heart disease, a heart problem that is present from birth
- Cardiomyopathy, a disorder of the heart muscle that prevents it from squeezing properly
Several other heart diseases can cause heart failure.
How does the transplant process work?
One way that Children’s supports your child and family through this challenging time is by helping you understand as much as possible about the transplant process. Learn what to expect if your child needs a heart transplant.