Beating Heart Transplant

CINCINNATI (July 16, 2026) – Heart surgeons at The Christ Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute recently performed the region's first beating-heart transplant, marking another milestone in advanced heart failure care and bringing one of the most advanced approaches in heart transplantation to patients across Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana.

The procedure uses advanced organ preservation technology that keeps the donor heart beating and continuously supplied with warm, oxygenated blood while the surgeons implant the heart. By maintaining continuous blood flow to the donor heart during the implantation, the technique is designed to better preserve the organ, reduce injury to the heart muscle and improve recovery for transplant recipients.

"Keeping the donor heart beating throughout the transplant process helps us better preserve the organ both before and during the operation," said Michael Javorski, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon specializing in heart transplantation and advanced mechanical circulatory support therapies. "By maintaining continuous blood flow to the heart during the surgery, we can reduce stress on the heart muscle and potentially improve recovery for transplant recipients.

“This approach represents one of the latest advances in heart transplantation and allows us to offer patients access to leading-edge care close to home,” said Geoffrey Answini, MD, Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at The Christ Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute.

The Christ Hospital Health Network’s heart transplant program continues to be one of the fastest growing heart transplant programs in the Midwest having performed 65 heart transplants in less than four years. Supported by the Carl & Edyth Lindner Research Center, which has participated in more than 1,300 clinical trials, the program continues to bring the latest advances in heart transplantation and advanced heart failure care to patients throughout Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Southeast Indiana and beyond.

“This represents our commitment to bring tomorrow's innovations to patients today,” said Dean Kereiakes, MD, Chairman of The Christ Hospital Heart & Vascular Institute. “Patients across Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana don’t have to leave home to receive the most advanced heart transplant care. Our job is to bring the latest advances in cardiovascular medicine to Cincinnati so that patients can have great care close to home."

About The Christ Hospital Health Network
The Christ Hospital Health Network consists of an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn, a remote hospital location in Liberty Township, five ambulatory outpatient centers and dozens of medical offices throughout the region. For 137 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves. Made up of more than 1,300 physicians and more than 7,800 team members, our mission is to improve the health of our community by providing exceptional outcomes in an affordable way. The Network was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in the Cincinnati Region, named to Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals list in 2026.