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Cardiac Transplant Program ranks first in Southeast The MUSC Cardiac Transplant Program ranked first in the Southeast and second in the nation in one-year survival rates, according to a report released by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.   The registry periodically publishes statistics on activities of each transplant center in the United States. Data on 127 transplant centers were included in the report.    According to the report, MUSC’s current one-year survival rate of 97.67 percent was second in the nation and far exceeded the U.S. average survival rate of 86.99 percent.  One-year survival rates and ranking of  some other well-known centers in the United States were: Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., 94.44 percent (#13); Emory University in Atlanta, 94.23 percent (#14); Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, 93.88 percent (#18); Duke University in Durham, N.C., 88.51 percent (#49) and Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, 78.79 percent (#85).   Waiting time for a heart transplant at MUSC is also shorter than at surrounding centers.  Half of the patients listed for a heart transplant at MUSC will be successfully transplanted within the first two months compared to the national average of  more than eight months.   The MUSC Cardiac Transplant Program is the only provider of heart transplants in South Carolina. The MUSC team has transplanted 362 hearts in 358 patients since the program’s inception in 1987. At the end of July, 67 percent of these patients are alive at one month to 17-year post transplant.   Jack Crumbley, M.D., is director of the Cardiac Transplant Program, and Adrian Van Bakel, M.D., is medical director of the program.   “I attribute our high survival rates to our experienced and stable heart transplant team and the hard work and dedication of Lifepoint, South Carolina’s organ procurement organization,” said Crumbley.  “A heart transplant is truly a team effort and successful patient outcomes are based on the combined wisdom and close cooperation of cardiothoracic surgeons, transplant cardiologists, transplant nurse coordinators, a clinical pharmacist, dietitian, cardiac anesthesiologists, a transplant infectious disease specialist, surgical pathologists, a transplant administrator, and medical social worker.  I consider it an honor and a privilege to work with this outstanding team.”   “It is difficult to believe that more than 18 years have passed since Dr. Crumbley and I performed the first heart transplant in South Carolina,” said Fred Crawford, chairman of the Department of Surgery at MUSC. “Under Dr. Crumbley’s leadership and with the excellent support of a dedicated team, the program has matured into one of the premiere heart transplant programs in the country as indicated by these data.” Friday, Oct. 7, 2005 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.