Tufts Medicine announced today that the Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation Program at Tufts Medical Center completed 70 adult heart transplants in 2024, eclipsing its own New England record of 61 from the previous year. No other center in the region has reached as many as 60 adult heart transplants in a single calendar year.
"Boston has long been the hub of heart transplant in the northeast," said Indranee Rajapreyar, MD, Medical Director of Cardiac Transplantation at Tufts Medical Center. "For Tufts Medical Center to stand out from our peers and break this record for the second consecutive year is a testament to the dedication, skill and experience of our entire team."
"We are extremely proud to have built up a heart failure and cardiac transplantation program that continues to set records and reach new milestones for clinical and surgical excellence," said David DeNofrio, MD, Director of Heart Failure Network Development at Tufts Medical Center. "Trust has always been the cornerstone of our success. Referring cardiologists are aware of our reputation for high-quality, complex care and outstanding outcomes, and our patients know that every member of their care team will go above and beyond to help them achieve our shared goal: a new heart and a new lease on life."
The new regional record marks the third time in the past nine years that Tufts Medical Center has set a new standard for adult heart transplants in New England. The 2023 total of 61 adult heart transplants eclipsed Tufts MC's previous year-end mark of 56 from 2016. That 2016 mark had surpassed the previous New England high of 37 adult heart transplants, which had stood for 25 years, since 1991. In 2024, Tufts Medical Center also set a national record for the longest distance a heart was transported for transplant—2,921 nautical miles.
"I made the decision to come to Tufts Medical Center nearly 10 years ago because of the Advanced Heart Failure program's unwavering commitment to being the very best at what they do," said Gregory Couper, MD, Surgical Director of the Advanced Heart Failure Program at Tufts Medical Center. "Looking back on what we have accomplished together—three new milestones set, hundreds of lives saved and countless memories that were able to be made--is extremely gratifying."
Tufts Medical Center has performed adult heart transplants since 1985, completing a total of 820 of these transplants over the past 39 years. The program reached the milestone of 800 adult heart transplants in October, 2024. Since the year 2000, Tufts MC has performed the most adult heart transplants in New England (727), outpacing the next-closest center by more than 75 such transplants during that time. In addition to setting a new regional standard last year, Tufts Medical Center also finished 2024 ranked in the top-15 in the nation (T-13th) for adult heart transplant volume.
"It took a quarter of a century before we set a new benchmark for adult heart transplants in New England, and to now exceed our own standard for the second time in as many years illustrates just how far our program, and heart transplant in general, has come," said James Udelson, MD, Interim Chief Physician Executive of The CardioVascular Center and Chief of the Division of Cardiology at Tufts Medical Center. "We want all of our heart failure patients to enjoy longer, healthier lives, and it has been a true privilege to help give this gift of life to so many people for nearly 40 years."
According to the United Network For Organ Sharing (UNOS) Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network data, adult heart transplants nationwide increased by just over one percent in 2024, compared to 2023 year-end data. With 4,085 total adult heart transplants performed across the country last year, the U.S. set a new benchmark for adult heart transplants, surpassing the 4,039 total from 2023.
"Now I have a whole new outlook on life," said Greg Gordon, 55, an electrician from Attleboro, MA, and the recipient of the 65th adult heart transplant at Tufts Medical Center on December 11, 2024. "I don't have the words to express how grateful I am for the care and support I received. I'm getting better and feeling stronger every day, and I look forward to giving back and helping other heart transplant patients like me in the New Year. It's been about a month since my transplant, but I'm still on cloud nine. And I don't expect to come back down any time soon."
In addition to Tufts Medical Center's market-leading heart transplant program, Tufts Medicine demonstrates excellence in cardiovascular care at each of its hospitals. MelroseWakefield Hospital has been recognized as "High Performing" in heart failure by U.S. News and World Report for 10 years and is frequently an early adopter of advanced technology and procedures in community-based care. Like MelroseWakefield Hospital, Lowell General Hospital operates one of the few community hospital-based cardiac catheterization labs in Massachusetts, where it has attained steady patient volume growth. The Heart and Vascular Center at Lowell General Hospital ranks well above the national benchmark in patient satisfaction. Tufts Medical Center is a hub of cardiovascular innovation, pioneering new technologies to treat cardiovascular disease, including a model used across the globe for cardiogenic shock treatment algorithms. In 2024, Tufts MC was ranked among 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Heart Programs by Becker's Hospital Review.
