More than 30 years have passed since the first successful heart transplant was performed in South Africa in 1967. The success rate of heart transplantation has improved greatly since then, and thanks to continuing advances in immunosuppressive therapy and surgical techniques, most transplant patients can look forward to having a healthy heart for many years.

The Cardiac Transplantation Program at Carolinas Heart Institute was instituted in 1986 with the first cardiac transplant performed by Dr. Francis Robicsek. Shortly thereafter, the Carolinas Heart Institute was named the first Medicare-approved cardiac transplant center in North Carolina. Our program was the first center in North Carolina to perform 200 cardiac transplants. Thirteen cardiac transplants were performed in 2002; and as of 2003 we had performed a total of 329 cardiac transplants.