Last year, UVA Pediatric Cardiology in Charlottesville, Virginia set a record for the number of heart transplants performed. In 2023, they completed 18 heart transplants, a significant increase from just one or two a year a decade ago. Dr. Thomas L’Ecuyer, the director of the Pediatric Heart Transplant Program, expressed his surprise at the rapid growth of the program and emphasized the importance of making this essential treatment available to children in their community.
Dr. L’Ecuyer came to UVA 11 years ago with the vision to establish a heart transplant program that would serve children in Virginia without them having to leave the state. The program’s success has not gone unnoticed, as it is now recognized and ranked not only in Virginia but also across the country. Dr. James Gangemi, Chief of Congenital Heart Surgery at UVA, stated that their program is among the top five percent of pediatric congenital heart programs in the country. Despite their achievements, Dr. Gangemi insists that they are not slowing down and that the sky’s the limit for the growth of their program.
The success of UVA Pediatric Cardiology’s heart transplant program is attributed to the dedicated team of professionals they have assembled. Dr. Gangemi emphasized the importance of bringing the right people together to build a strong program both in heart transplants and overall congenital heart care. In addition to heart transplants, UVA Children’s Hospital was ranked first in the state, while their pediatric cardiology care team was ranked 36th in the nation, according to a recent US News and World report.
