Since 1980, UPMC has been providing lifesaving transplant care to patients with severe heart disease and heart failure. In 2023, UPMC was the highest-volume transplant center in Pennsylvania. UPMC has completed more than 1,700 heart transplants since the inception of the program.
Recent data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients demonstrates that the results achieved by the heart transplant program at UPMC are among the best in the nation. UPMC is the national leader in 90-day survival rate following heart transplantation and is among the top nationally for patient survival rates at 30 days and one year post-transplant.
UPMC heart transplant recipient Joy Prestosh is an example of our rich legacy in innovation and outstanding patient outcomes.
Joy’s Journey with the UPMC Heart Transplant Team
In 1984, Joy Prestosh was diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy after the birth of her daughter. This condition can occur during pregnancy, weakening the heart muscle and reducing the amount of blood it can pump throughout the body.
As her condition worsened, Joy’s weight dropped to 90 pounds, and her local doctor thought she might be a candidate for a heart transplant – still a relatively new procedure at the time.
“This type of surgery wasn’t available close to home,” Joy explains. “My doctors told me I could go to New York or Pittsburgh – and I picked Pittsburgh.”
The then-26-year-old was taken by helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian. Joy was only on the waiting list for a week before receiving her new heart. After a few weeks of recovery, she was able to return home.
Now, 40 years later, Joy continues to be cared for by UPMC.
“It’s wonderful that they’ve followed my journey throughout all of these years,” Joy says. “Any questions I have about insurance, medications, or other aspects of my health – it’s reassuring to know my answers are only a phone call away.”
The heart transplant team at UPMC follows patients throughout their lifetime after transplant.
Joy’s biggest question came at the time of her transplant – when she wondered how long she might live with her new heart – thinking she’d be lucky to see another 10 years. She’s now surpassed 40.
“With the way I felt, I wasn’t truly living before my surgery,” Joy recalls. “And now, I can say I’ve lived a good, long life.”
The UPMC Difference for Heart Transplant Care
This milestone of 40 years post-heart transplant is a testament to Joy’s strength and UPMC’s dedication to patient-centered care and innovation.
Our heart transplant program is one of few that has heart recipients living 30 years or more after transplant. The average one-year survival rate of heart transplant recipients in the U.S. is around 91.6%. That survival rate is 96.54% at UPMC.
In addition to our excellent outcomes, our program has achieved groundbreaking milestones in the field of transplant.
UPMC was the first center in the world to:
- Perform a successful heart-liver transplant.
- Perform a heart-liver-kidney transplant.
- Discharge a patient home after a cardiac assist device implantation.
- Perform a robotically assisted HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device insertion.
UPMC was the second center in the world to:
- Perform a successful heart-lung transplant.
UPMC was the second center in the nation to:
- Implant Jarvik Artificial Heart as a bridge-to-transplant.
UPMC was the first center in Pennsylvania to:
- Perform a donation after circulatory death (DCD) heart transplant.
With our strong foundation of excellence and innovation, we continue to pioneer new advancements in the management and treatment of heart disease, including the use of donation after circulatory death (DCD), to safely and effectively increase the number of donor organs available for those in need. This has increased donations by as much as 25% in some parts of the country.
Our team achieves sustained growth and exemplary clinical outcomes and utilizes innovative solutions including minimally invasive approaches to left ventricular assisted device insertion to improve patient’s quality of life. The UPMC Artificial Heart Program is one of the most active programs in the United States, implanting nearly 1,000 durable VADs since its inception.
We are committed to providing lifesaving transplant options to all patients who may benefit, including those who are high-risk.
To learn more about our program, or to schedule an appointment, call 412-648-6202.