The Section of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery at the University of Chicago draws upon a tradition of innovative clinical practice and scientific research to provide the highest level of care to our patients. We continue to pioneer and develop new programs and techniques.
Our cardiac surgeons have established a renowned heart transplant program, which is the largest in Illinois and second largest in the Midwest. One key element to our success is our patients' wait time on the transplant list as compared to the national average. While the most recent national data indicates that patients wait an average of 8 months for a transplant, 50% of our patients receive a transplant in approximately 1 month. Furthermore, our program's physicians and surgeons were the first to successfully simultaneously perform a heart, liver and kidney transplant and have extensive experience in multiple organ transplants. Additionally, in February 2006, led by Wickii Vigneswaran, M.D., we expanded our thoracic surgery and transplantation programs to include both lung and lung/heart transplantation. These additions, along with our extensive thoracic surgery practice, will allow us to serve more patients who are experiencing lung disease.
Our pediatric cardiac surgeons are also at the forefront of surgical procedures. In February 2005, the Comer Childrens Hospital opened on the University of Chicago Hospitals Hyde Park campus. This state-of-the-art facility will allows our faculty to enhance and expand their innovative and pioneering work in hybrid surgery, a minimally invasive, off-pump approach for newborns suffering from hypoplastic left heart syndrome. This technique buys time, enables the infant to survive without a massive operation soon after birth, and allows the child to grow for several months, which makes the follow-up operations easier.
Complementing these complex surgical techniques, our faculty have vast experience in minimally invasive surgical techniques. We were the first to perform a DaVinci-assisted coronary artery bypass graft surgery in Chicago and have performed over 150 minimally invasive valve surgeries, including complex redo valves. Minimally invasive surgery produces less bleeding, less pain, and better cosmetic results and allows patients to return to their normal daily activities more quickly.
Our scientific research is also innovative and compliments our clinical work. One of the members of our faculty, Jai Raman, M.D., Ph.D., is the U.S. patent holder for the Acorn ventricular containment device. Our presentation detailing the use of a prophylactic DeVega annuloplasty to prevent tricuspid regurgitation in transplanted hearts received the Maxwell Chamberlain award at the 2004 Annual Conference of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. We are currently the only clinical site implanting the CardioPlus, the first implantable Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump. It is the only VAD that can be used on demand by the patient, which increases its potential application for the treatment of heart failure. Our basic science team, led by Mahesh Gupta, Ph.D., is currently working on several research projects supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.
As Chief of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery, I am extremely proud to work collaboratively with such a distinguished group of surgeons, physicians and researchers. One of our section's great strengths is the spirit of innovation that runs through our program. This spirit of innovation is coupled with a passion for delivering the best results for not only our patients, but for patients with cardiac and thoracic ailments throughout the world.
