OU Health’s child heart surgery program has gained recognition as one of the best in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. Over the past decade, the program has been developed from scratch, providing complex surgeries to children who previously had to seek treatment in other states. Dr. Harold Burkhart, the chief of cardiac surgery at OU Health, played a vital role in establishing the program, aiming to make a difference for children in need of heart surgeries in Oklahoma.
The program’s latest achievement is the addition of a child to a national transplant list for a new heart. This means that the child, whose heart is failing, will be able to receive a heart transplant without having to leave Oklahoma. While this is a significant milestone, Burkhart explains that it is just the beginning. This first successful transplant opportunity will demonstrate the hospital’s preparedness to offer this service, allowing them to open up the program to more children who require heart transplants.
The development of the child heart surgery program at OU Health not only showcases the dedication and hard work of the medical team but also provides hope and support to families in Oklahoma who previously had limited options for their children’s heart surgeries. With this groundbreaking program, more children will now have access to life-saving procedures closer to home, sparing them from having to travel long distances in search of medical treatment.
