Heart Transplant Program

Heart Transplant Program
Heart Transplant Program, Delaware Valley
Heart Transplant Program, Delaware Valley
For Appointments
Heart Transplant Program, Delaware Valley
Central Florida
(407) 650-7715
Northwest Florida
(850) 505-4775
Contact Nemours
Visit our contact page to find more contact information for each of our regions
Second Opinions
Heart Transplant Program, Delaware Valley
(800) 416-4441
Second Opinions
Heart Transplant Program, Delaware Valley
For Appointments & Second Opinions
Heart Transplant Program, Delaware Valley
Delaware Valley
(800) 416-4441
Central Florida
(407) 650-7715
Northwest Florida
(850) 505-4775
Second Opinions Delaware Valley
(302) 651-6600
Second Opinions Central Florida
(407) 567-4327
Contact Nemours
Visit our contact page to find more contact information for each of our regions
Our Care
Excellent Outcomes, More Tomorrows
Children with a heart transplant can, and do, grow up, go to school and enjoy active lives. Especially when they have team-based, expert care and support before, during and after transplant surgery.
Surgeons at the Nemours Children’s
Cardiac Center, Delaware Valley
performed the very first pediatric heart transplant in Delaware in 2005. Since then, we’ve built a recognized, integrated heart transplant program focused on the needs of your child and family.
We guide you through the process. And we prepare you physically and emotionally for the best possible outcomes. Our cardiothoracic surgery team works closely with specialists in pediatric heart failure, cardiac anesthesiology, cardiac critical care, cardiac psychology, pharmacists, nurses and many others. We’re here as your child grows, with advanced care and programs that begin
before birth
up
to age 40.
Our team is your source for support, hope and inspiration. We work to give your child the best chance to live, and to run, play, dance and soar to their highest ability.
“A Second Chance at Life”
Eric came to us at 3 months old with an enlarged heart. See how he’s dancing and growing strong after his heart transplant.
"We have been surrounded by miracles, blessings, compassion and support."
Read Ellen’s Story
“When I saw him a few hours later, he was pink, not gray as he had been. His hands were warm. It was like life had been breathed into him.”
Read Seth’s Story
one
two
Heart Transplant Expertise You Can Trust
Our surgeons are internationally recognized for performing the most complex surgeries on the tiniest hearts. We know when it’s time for a heart transplant and begin the process quickly.
26
Heart transplants in last 10 years
300+
Heart surgeries in Cardiac Center last year
30,000+
Children cared for by our Nemours cardiology division each year
39
Heart specialists on our cardiology team from Delaware to Florida
We offer the full range of
heart care, from advanced mechanical circulatory support to cardiac rehabilitation and neurodevelopmental support
, and more.
We give children with highly complex conditions
a chance to have a new heart, helping kids that other programs may not.
Our
surgical outcomes
, or success rates, for the most advanced surgeries
are better than national averages.
Our team is
researching
and leading clinical trials to find ways to prevent, detect and treat heart failure
and make surgery safer for kids.
Families and providers around the world come to us for
second opinions
on heart transplant surgery.
Meet the Team
The Nemours heart transplant team is experienced and focused on your child's healthiest future. Meet them now.
Carissa M. Baker-Smith, MD, MPH
Cardiology
Director, Preventive Cardiology
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology at Thomas Jefferson University
(800) 416-4441
Primary Office
Wilmington, DE
View Provider Profile
Claude Anthony Beaty Jr., MD
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Site Director, Temple Thoracic Residency Program, Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University
(800) 416-4441
Primary Office
Wilmington, DE
View Provider Profile
Christopher D. Derby, MD
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Surgical Director Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and Mechanical Circulatory Support
(800) 416-4441
Primary Office
Wilmington, DE
View Provider Profile
Karen McCandless, ARNP
Cardiology
(800) 416-4441
Primary Office
Wilmington, DE
View Provider Profile
Aryaz Sheybani, MD
Cardiology
Medical Director, Heart Transplant Program
(800) 416-4441
Primary Office
Wilmington, DE
View Provider Profile
Leading Heart Care at a Leading Children’s Hospital
Our heart center in Delaware Valley provides highly advanced, integrated, team-based heart care just for kids and young adults with congenital heart defects. We offer many focused programs, leading-edge research and amazing outcomes.
Families have access to robust support services onsite, like school programs, creative therapies, pet therapy and pastoral care. We also have a Ronald McDonald House nearby, so your family can stay together.
See Our Support Services
Take a Virtual Tour
The
Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware
has all the conveniences you need, with spacious rooms, areas for play and respite, beautiful gardens and more. Take a virtual tour now.
Programs & Services
Children with end-stage heart failure may need a transplant to live. We begin the process as soon as possible.
We offer the full range of medical and surgical care leading up to heart transplant including:
Heart Transplant Evaluations
We explain everything and give you the information and tools you need to make the best decisions for your family. We walk your family through the process, performing all the needed medical, psychological and social assessments to help ensure success. We also offer second opinions for providers and families to help them decide the best path forward.
Getting on the Heart Transplant List
We’re part of
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)
, an organization that manages the nation’s organ transplant system for the federal government. We submit your child’s assessment and they match an organ when available.
Heart Failure Management
Whether your child is home,
at the hospital
or in
critical care
, our
heart failure
team helps keep your child healthy and strong while waiting for transplant. We manage their heart care with medicines, cardiac rehabilitation, nutritional counseling, cardiac psychology support, interventional heart procedures, electrophysiology services, cardiothoracic surgery and more.
As a Cardiomyopathy Foundation Accredited Center of Care, we offer the highest quality of care available.
Mechanical Circulatory Support
For hearts that need help to work, our experts use the latest
mechanical circulatory support
devices, like extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and ventricular assist devices (VADs) as a bridge to transplant. We customize services to your child’s specific needs.
Nemours is recognized for excellence in pediatric heart surgery. Our
survival rates
are among the best in the nation.
We’re pioneers and leaders in the field. We were the first in state of Delaware to give a child a new heart, and we develop new surgical methods for kids with rare and complex heart conditions.
Our transplant surgery care includes:
Elite experts
in
cardiothoracic surgery
cardiac anesthesiology
cardiac critical care
cardiology
inpatient heart care
, nursing and many others who work as one team
Advanced
heart imaging
, like 3D echocardiography and heart MRI to help plan a more precise, accurate surgery
Minimally invasive methods
, like those that need fewer, smaller cuts on the outside of the skin to help with recovery
ABO-incompatible heart transplants
, or using a heart from a donor that doesn’t match your child’s blood type
Advanced life support
and the latest equipment
to monitor your child closely throughout transplant surgery
Experience in multi-organ transplants
in children, including heart-lung, heart-kidney, heart-liver and others
Heart transplants for all ages
, from infants to adults up to age 40
Re-transplant surgery
, as donor hearts last about 25 years
Learn More from Nemours KidsHealth®
If your child needs a heart transplant, you have many questions.
Learn about heart transplant surgery
, the process and what to expect from the experts at Nemours KidsHealth.
Immediately after transplant, our
cardiac critical care
team, that’s been part of your child’s care from the start, closely monitors your child’s recovery in our fully equipped critical care unit.
We partner with your child’s surgeons, cardiologists and cardiac anesthesiologists, and work closely with pharmacists with advanced experience in pediatric heart transplantation. We use the latest medicines to prevent organ rejection and reduce the risk for complications.
Our cardiac
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery
program ensures we’re doing everything we can before, during and after surgery to make it a little easier on you and your child.
And our
inpatient heart care
team provides extensive, hands-on training on how to care for your child at home after transplant.
At Nemours, heart care doesn’t end after transplant. Our heart center offers integrated programs and care throughout your child’s life, including:
Cardiac rehabilitation
therapies
, which includes inpatient and outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy and other support to help your child grow stronger
Cardiac neurodevelopmental support
to help protect behavioral, emotional and intellectual health so your child can develop to their highest ability
Nutritional support
, using healthy foods that aid in recovery
Complete condition management
to help detect problems and prevent complications that can happen after transplant
Quick, convenient access to more than 30 pediatric specialties
, like kidney specialists, hematologists and others, on-site and close to home
Support services
that begin on your very first visit, like social work, Child Life, creative therapy, pet therapy, pastoral care, family lodging at the nearby Ronald McDonald House and more
Conditions & Treatments
We see many conditions — far too many to list here. The conditions we treat vary depending on the location and providers selected. Don’t see a condition listed? Call us.
Anomalous Coronary Artery
Aortopulmonary Window
Arrhythmia
Atrial Septal Defect (ASD)
Atrioventricular Canal Defect
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy
Congenital Heart Defects
Double Outlet Right Ventricle (DORV)
Down Syndrome
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
Heart Failure
Heart Murmurs
Heterotaxy Syndrome
High Blood Pressure
High Cholesterol & High Triglycerides
Levo-Transposition of the Great Arteries
Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return
Pulmonary Artery Sling
Pulmonary Atresia - Intact Ventricular Septum
Pulmonary Embolism
Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary Stenosis
Skeletal Dysplasia
Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return
Tricuspid Atresia
Truncus Arteriosus
Related Specialties
Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program
Advanced Delivery Unit
Advanced Life Support
Airway Tracheal Surgery
Cardiac (Heart) Imaging
Cardiac Anesthesiology
Cardiac Center, Delaware Valley
Cardiac Center, Florida
Cardiac Critical Care
Cardiac Exercise Program
Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Program
Cardiac Neuromuscular Disorders
Cardiac Psychology
Cardiac Rehabilitation & Fitness
Cardiac Second Opinions
Cardio Oncology
Cardiology
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Cardiovascular Genetics
Catheterization/Interventional Cardiology
Coronary Anomalies Program
Dysautonomia (Autonomic Dysfunction)
Electrophysiology & Arrhythmia Program
Endocrinology
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Fetal Heart Program
Fetal Medicine
Gastroenterology
Heart Center Programs & Services
Heart Failure & Cardiomyopathy Program
Heart Transplant Program
Inpatient Heart Care
Lymphatics Disease Program
Mechanical Circulatory Support
Meet Our Heart Center Team
Neonatology
Nephrology
Newborn Heart Surgery
Nutrition
Orthopedics
Our Cardiac Patient Outcomes
Pacemakers Defibrillators Implanted Devices
Pediatric Cardiac Research
Preventive Cardiology
Pulmonary Hypertension Program
Pulmonology
Rehabilitation Medicine
Resources for Health Professionals
Single Ventricle Program
Sleep Medicine
Surgery for Rare Heart-Related Genetic Syndromes
Weight Management
Williams Syndrome Program
Your Child’s Heart Center Visit
Empowering You to Care for Your Child at Home
The Nemours inpatient heart care team helps you prepare for and manage your child’s care at home. We make sure you have everything you need, including training on devices, equipment and medicines before you leave.
Convenient Follow-Up Appointments by Video
We offer follow-up appointments through scheduled, live video visits. You can avoid waiting rooms and save travel time. Ask your doctor if this is an option for your family.