Physician Bios

Care Team

Surgical Directors
– Adult
– Pediatric

Medical Directors
– Adult
– Pediatric

A Pioneering Heart Transplant Program

The Transplant Center--Pediatric Heart Transplantation

Founded in 1981, the pediatric heart transplant program at the University of Minnesota is the oldest in the state and the only program that serves infants. Our team of experts at University of Minnesota Medical Center stands ready to stabilize your child pre-transplant, to intervene when a heart becomes available and provide follow-up medical care.

Our heart transplant physicians perform a wide variety of procedures, from the relatively simple to the complex. Most pediatric heart transplant candidates have congenital heart lesions or cardiomyopathy. “The survival rate is about the same for children as it is for adults, but the biggest problem with kids is there is no means of mechanical support while waiting for a transplant,” says Cynthia Herrington, M.D.(see her bio).

Our pediatric heart transplant program has success with patients other major medical centers in the country refuse. These high-risk patients often have advanced pulmonary hypertension or advanced heart failure from congenital (inherited) heart disease.

The availability of donor hearts is a serious factor, but helped by the success of a strong local procurement program. Transplant cardiologist Elizabeth Braunlin, M.D. (see her bio), credits LifeSource, the Upper Midwest Organ Procurement Organization, for successfully dealing with the sensitive subject of child organ donation. LifeSource is the federally funded organization established to smooth the process of organ donation in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. The national rate of consent to donate transplantable organs is 50 percent, compared to 60 percent for LifeSource.

Anna Tsirka-Grewal, M.D. (see her bio); Paula Pedersen, transplant coordinator; and, Dot Landis, department of social work round out the pediatric heart transplant team.

Facts

• First pediatric heart transplant program in Minnesota — founded in 1981
• The only program in Minnesota that treats infants
• More than 60 children have received heart transplants in our program
• Youngest heart transplant recipient was one month old