Heart Transplant Overview

Care for Complex Heart Transplant Patients

Heart transplant is one of a number of options for severe heart disease and should only be considered when other viable treatment options have been unsuccessful. Since 1984, doctors at the University of Michigan Heart Transplant program have performed more than 900 heart transplants. We have also implanted more than 800 ventricular assist devices (VADs), most as a way to “bridge” patients to transplant. In addition, we can provide the multidisciplinary care required for complex transplant patients, encompassing specialists in advanced circulatory support, cardiac critical care, nutrition and social work. Our physicians also offer advanced experience treating patients with congenital heart disease, inherited cardiomyopathies (such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) and transplant infectious disease.

More Information About Heart Transplantation

To learn more about our Heart Transplant program, visit the Heart Transplant page on umcvc.org, the website for the Frankel Cardiovascular Center. There you will find information about:

  • Reasons for heart transplant
  • Delaying transplant in heart disease patients through oral heart failure medications, intravenous inotropes (medical therapy to make the heart beat strongly), and ventricular assist devices (VADs). For more detailed information on ventricular assist devices, visit our VADs and LVADs page.

Patient Resources

Make an Appointment

To make an appointment with our Transplant Center to evaluate your need, call 1-800-333-9013.