The Nation's Best Heart Transplant Program

The Nation's Best Heart Transplant Program

The Heart Transplant Program at the University of Chicago Medicine has some of the most experienced cardiologists and cardiac surgeons in the country. We have been performing heart transplants for more than 40 years and continue to advance our knowledge and expertise in transplantation to allow us to provide unparalleled care to our patients.

Leading Illinois in Heart Transplants

UChicago Medicine set a new Illinois record by completing 66 successful heart transplants in 2022. Our nationally and internationally respected program surpassed their own previous record of 61 heart transplants in 2021. Learn more about our heart transplant program's success.

5-Star Heart Transplant Care

UChicago Medicine has a 5-star rating from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients for our expertise in heart transplant. We routinely take extremely challenging cases, which include patients who are denied care at other hospitals around the country, and provide the life-saving treatment they need. Our esteemed rating is a recognition that we offer exceptional care to heart transplant patients, which includes the:

Shortest:

We have the shortest wait times in the nation for receiving a donor heart.

Best:

We have the best survival rates in the country for heart transplant patients. 

Highest:

We have the highest proportion of African American patients transplanted in the United States.

A Team Approach to Heart Transplantation

At UChicago Medicine, we take a collaborative team approach to each patient's treatment — from candidate evaluation through post-procedure care. Our multidisciplinary transplant team includes cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, nurses, cardiac rehabilitation specialists and social workers that work together to provide the highest level of care and support.

Transplanting High-Risk Patients

We welcome complicated transplant cases, and many of our patients are considered high-risk, including those who require re-transplantation or bloodless surgeries.

Our team is also advancing heart transplant care by performing transplantation with a heart donation after circulatory death (DCD), a technique that may help patients get transplanted faster.

Additionally, we are one of the most experienced medical centers in the world for multi-organ transplantation. Our cardiac surgeons collaborate with other UChicago Medicine transplant surgeons to perform heart-lung, heart-liver, heart-liver-kidney and heart-kidney-pancreas transplant combinations.

Proven Success and Continued Excellence Post Transplant

The outlook for patients who have heart transplants here is excellent — our results are among the best in the nation. We have a long history of providing superb transplant care, and we are continuing to build upon our success through surgical innovation and world-class medical care.

Heart Transplant Process

If you are a candidate for transplant, you can learn more about our heart transplant surgery process.

Conditions That Lead to Heart Transplantation

In most cases, heart failure is caused by an underlying, progressive illness. If you have an underlying condition that is not being managed, it can weaken your heart and exacerbate heart failure, requiring heart transplantation. Some of the conditions that lead to transplantation include:

Nationally Ranked in Cardiology, Heart Surgery and Vascular Surgery

According to U.S. News and World Report, the University of Chicago Medicine's Heart and Vascular programs are among the best in the nation.

 

USNEWS Heart & Vascular Badge 2024-2025

Help When Traveling from Outside the Chicago Area for Medical Care

For Logan Andrews and his family, traveling from North Carolina to Chicago for Logan's heart and liver transplant care required special assistance beyond medical expertise. The family turned to the Destination UChicago Medicine team to help scheduling appointments, arranging travel and finding accommodations. 

Find a Heart Failure Location Near You

Request an Appointment

We are currently experiencing a high volume of inquiries, leading to delayed response times. For faster assistance, please call 1-773-702-9461 to schedule your appointment.

If you have symptoms of an urgent nature, please call your doctor or go to the emergency room immediately.

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By submitting this form you acknowledge the risk of sending this information by email and agree not to hold the University of Chicago or University of Chicago Medical Center liable for any damages you may incur as a result of the transfer or use of this information. The use or transmittal of this form does not create a physician-contact relationship. More information regarding the confidentiality of this request can be found in our Privacy Policy.