Heart transplant teams at the University of Kentucky have performed a record number of procedures during 2015. Nearly 40 adult transplants have been done so far. The previous state record stood at 27.
Heart Transplant Program Medical Director Navin Rajagopalan says referrals have come to Lexington from Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and Tennessee, “Consistently we have seen for the last year that there have been more donor hearts available for patients on the waiting list, I think this is a result of KODA really getting out there and trying to encourage people to sign up as registered donors."
KODA stands for Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates. Heart surgeries for placement of stints or performing by-passes have become relatively commonplace. Dr. Rajagopalan says heart transplant operations often go very smoothly. “A heart transplant operation is fairly, compared to other forms of cardiac surgery, on the simpler side,” explained Rajagopalan. “You know, the chest is opened, and the heart is taken out and a new heart goes in.”
Rajagopalan says waking newly-transplanted hearts and medical management following the procedures can present issues at times. Rajagopalan is not sure if 2016 will be as active in terms of heart transplants. UK is one of only a hundred hospitals in the country doing heart transplants?.
