Heart Transplants and Cardiac Assist Devices

If you have a type of heart disease or defect that cannot be treated with less invasive means, a heart transplant or cardiac assist device may provide a new chance at life. During a heart transplant, the surgeon replaces your diseased heart with a healthy one from a donor. In other cases, a cardiac assist device, sometimes called a ventricular assist device, works with your existing heart to help it pump blood correctly.

At Sutter, you’ll receive top-quality surgical care from experienced transplant surgeons and cardiovascular specialists. Sutter CPMC has a 100% one-year transplant survival rate, among the best across the U.S. Our transplant teams will support you and your family through every step of the process, from preparation to recovery. If you need a cardiac device like a pacemaker or defibrillator, a team of specialists will provide intermittent remote monitoring, so you have support even once you return home.

We’re the proud recipient of the American Heart Association’s Get With the Guidelines® top gold award for excellent heart failure treatment and the first program in the nation to be certified by the Joint Commission for our safe, successful transitions of care for heart failure patients.

Many of our doctors are also involved in ongoing research, including clinical trials for ventricular assist devices and heart transplantation. This means when you turn to Sutter, you get access to the most advanced equipment and techniques.