Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D.

Guest: Ruben J. Crespo-Diaz, M.D., Ph.D.

The world’s first human-to-human heart transplant was performed in 1967 and represented a significant breakthrough for medical science. Although the transplant patient only survived 18 days, it was still a historic event. Since this initial heart transplant, significant improvements have been made in the field of organ transplantation and currently, approximately 5000 heart transplants are performed annually. Unfortunately, over ten times this number could benefit from the procedure. What’s the limiting factor in the number of heart transplants performed? What are the current criteria of eligibility for a heart transplant? What are some of the improvements in the field of cardiac transplant surgery? I’ll get answers to these questions and more from my guest, Ruben J. Crespo-Diaz, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Mayo Clinic. The topic for this podcast is “Cardiac Transplant”.

Learn more about this Transplant Series:  Mayo Clinic Talks: Donate Life: Transplantation Series | Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development

Connect with Mayo Clinic’s Transplant Center online at https://mayoclinic.org/transplant or on X @MayoTransplant.

To learn more and register to be an organ donor please visit https://careinfo.mayoclinic.org/organ-donation.

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