In 2023, a significant milestone was achieved by University Research Hospital as they carried out an unprecedented number of heart transplant surgeries.
Strong Memorial Hospital: A Leading Heart Transplant Center in the U.S.
Strong Memorial Hospital, part of the University of Rochester Medical Center, has established itself as a significant player in the heart transplant field. Despite not appearing on a publicly available, explicit top 38 busiest heart transplant centers list for 2023, the hospital consistently exceeds national averages in heart transplant survival rates.
The Advanced Heart Failure program at Strong Memorial Hospital offers a range of services, including a Cardiac Critical Care Transport Team for patients being rushed from outlying areas to the Medical Center for specialty care. This team played a crucial role in 2023 when the hospital performed an unprecedented flurry of 10 transplants in just 20 days around Labor Day.
One of the 40 people who received a heart transplant at Strong Memorial Hospital in 2023 was local writer and Buffalo Bills fan, Denise Champagne. Diagnosed with a congenital heart defect as a toddler, specifically Ebstein anomaly, Denise has undergone multiple surgeries, including her first valve replacement at age 8 and subsequent replacements and a pacemaker insertion over the next 40 years. The heart transplant surgery on Denise was particularly challenging due to heavy scarring in her chest from previous surgeries.
Strong Memorial Hospital's heart program is also a leader in the use of mechanical assist devices, having provided nearly 1,000 heart pumps. The hospital's reputation in the field is on par with renowned institutions such as Duke, Columbia, and Cleveland Clinic.
In addition to heart transplants, the UR Medicine Solid Organ Transplant Program performed a total of 212 organ transplants last year, including 104 kidney, 65 liver, two pancreas, and one kidney-pancreas transplants.
For those seeking the exact current list for 2023 of the busiest heart transplant centers, including University of Rochester, the UNOS OPTN transplant center reports or dashboards are the authoritative source. Reports and rankings are usually derived from these datasets, although extensive specific lists (top 38 centers) may not be freely listed in the search results.
Dr. Peter Knight, the chief of Cardiac Surgery, commended the team for maintaining and improving patient outcomes while managing dramatic volume growth. The hospital's success is further underscored by the acquisition of a novel, mobile, cold-storage system, the SherpaPak, for organ transportation. Strong Memorial Hospital's heart program is also a resource to large and rural hospitals for the care and management of patients experiencing heart and lung failure, particularly through its expertise in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
Strong Memorial Hospital performed its first heart transplant in 2001 and has since grown to become the only center in Upstate New York for heart and liver transplantation. The hospital's heart transplant team, led by cardiac transplant surgeons Katherine Wood, MD, and Igor Gosev, MD, PhD, continues to strive for excellence in patient care and outcomes.
