 | MUSC surgeons performing a heart transplant |
With a survival rate among the best in the Southeastern U.S., the Children’s Heart Transplant Program at MUSC continues to be a pioneer in the treatment of end-stage heart failure in children, adolescents, and adults with congenital heart disease. This success is the result of the cooperation of a dedicated team of transplant surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, social workers, psychologists, and advanced practice nurses. Prior to considering heart transplantation, our service aims to optimize medical management with: - Proven and new agents for heart failure in children, such as milrinone and carvedilol.
- Comprehensive screening, diagnosis and management of all forms of heart muscle dysfunction (cardiomyopathy).
- Pulmonary vasodilator therapy for secondary pulmonary hypertension including agents such as nitric oxide, bosentan (Tracleer), and sildenafil (Revatio).
- Anti-inflammatory treatment for myocarditis.
- Diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization in two dedicated pediatric catheterization laboratories.
- Biventricular pacing for patients with both congenital heart abnormalities and cardiomyopathy.
- Minimally invasive implantation of automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators (AICDs) in infants, toddlers, and older children.
Highlights of our Heart Transplant Surgery Program include: - Outpatient intravenous medication administration while waiting for a donor heart.
- Heart transplantation for even the most complex congenital cardiac defects.
- Mechanical cardiac support program including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and ventricular assist devices (VADs), as a life-saving "bridge" until an appropriate donor heart becomes available.
Our comprehensive and individualized approach to caring for your child and your family means better outcomes and a supportive experience – before, during and well after transplantation. |
