Oklahoma Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City has announced that it will now be performing pediatric heart transplants, becoming the first and only hospital in the state to offer this procedure. The decision to expand their services came after a child from Oklahoma was approved and added to the national transplant list for a new heart. The hospital has already placed this patient on the organ transplant list and is hopeful that a suitable heart will become available in the next few months. Once the first transplant is successfully completed, the hospital plans to offer the program to more children in need.
According to Dr. Harold Burkhart, Chief of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, the hospital had to establish the necessary infrastructure, including nursing staff, operating room personnel, and physicians, to be able to provide this life-saving procedure. They expect to perform eight to ten heart transplants per year initially, with the number increasing as the program expands. This development is significant as it allows children in Oklahoma to receive heart transplants within their home state, eliminating the need for them to travel long distances for treatment.
