NJ-500th Heart Transplant Surgery- Newark Beth Israel Medical Center

NJ-500th Heart Transplant Surgery- Newark Beth Israel Medical Center

November 11,2008
Michael Thomas

500TH HEART TRANSPLANT PERFORMED AT NEWARK BETH ISRAEL MEDICAL CENTER

The renowned heart transplant team at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, recently performed its 500th heart transplant. Over nearly two decades, the Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program has brought the benefits of cutting edge treatment options, cardiac research and the highest level of care to residents of the tri-state area.

Since New Jersey’s first heart transplant was performed at Newark Beth Israel, the Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program has evolved into one of the nation’s most active and respected centers. The experienced multidisciplinary team has worked together under the leadership of Mark J. Zucker, MD, JD, for nearly 20 years. A comprehensive approach to care, special attention to every detail and ongoing support for recipients and families distinguish the program.

“Dr. Zucker and his team have developed a heart transplant program that rivals that of any of the premier heart centers in the country. They excel in the critical factors established by The United Network for Organ Sharing, our nation’s organ donation and procurement governing body," said Ronald J. Del Mauro, President and Chief Executive Office of Saint Barnabas Health Care System.

Among the factors are the number of transplant surgeries performed at the institution, the graft survival rates, and the general feeling of confidence a patient gains from the transplant team. Newark Beth Israel's program has achieved long- and short-term graft survival rates that consistently exceed national averages and ranks among the nations’ top ten programs by volume.

Aggressive in the treatment of end-stage organ disease and known across the country as strong advocates for transplant candidates, the Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program offers treatment not available elsewhere. The team’s experience has made it a principle site for numerous clinical research trials that offer people diagnosed with heart failure or end-stage heart disease the benefit of cutting-edge therapies. Newark Beth Israel was the first to introduce the use of left ventricular assist devices in New Jersey in 1993 and remains one of the East Coast’s principal centers for implantation of the latest generation of mechanical assist devices that replace a diseased heart’s pumping action while the patient waits for a compatible organ. These devices are also available for long-term treatment of heart failure in patients who are not candidates for transplant.

The Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program was the also the first in New Jersey to employ extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The heart/lung machine supports patients when their heart and lungs are failing. It is primarily used to sustain patients who are severely ill and waiting for heart transplant.

"A comprehensive cardiac service that includes the opportunity for heart transplant offers the ultimate level of treatment," said John A. Brennan, MD, Executive Director of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children's Hospital of New Jersey. "New Jersey residents can receive world-class care close to home."

The successful outcomes and important clinical research associated with the Saint Barnabas Health Care System's heart and kidney and pancreas transplant programs have resulted in Newark Beth Israel Medical Centers' designation as New Jersey' only Lung Transplant Program. In addition to providing the highest quality care close to home, transplant programs within the state increase organ donation and ensure wider access to this highly specialized treatment.

Physician Leaders

At the core of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System’s Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is a team of dedicated physicians who possess equal measures of talent, experience and compassion.

Mark J. Zucker, MD, JD, Director of Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program, has been involved with heart transplantation since 1987. Under his leadership, 500 heart transplants, 31 lung transplants and over 150 left ventricular assist device implants have been performed at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. Nationally respected in his field, Dr. Zucker serves as President and Governor of the New Jersey Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and as the Board of Governor representative to the national ACC Subcommittee on Heart Failure and Transplantation. In addition, Dr. Zucker has served on the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Organ and Tissue Sharing Network for 15 years, as the Thoracic Representative for the mid-Atlantic states to the United Network for Organ Sharing for more than five years and now as a member-at-large on the Membership and Professional Standards Committee of UNOS.

Margarita T. Camacho, MD, Surgical Director of Cardiac Transplantation and Assist Devices, has performed thousands of open heart surgeries and heart transplants. A renowned cardiothoracic surgeon, she served as a clinical associate at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation’s Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery program where she specialized in transplantation and mechanical assist devices. Dr. Camacho is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Workforce on End-stage Cardiopulmonary Disease and President of the Society of Women in Thoracic Surgery. She is the author of many journal articles, book chapters and surgical manuals.

David A. Baran, MD, FACC, Director of Heart Failure and Transplant Research, joined the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in 2003. He is a highly skilled transplant cardiologist with special expertise in endomyocardial biopsy, diagnostic angiography and intravascular coronary ultrasound. Dr. Baran is the principal investigator for numerous prestigious clinical research trials related to heart failure treatment and immunosuppression. He is the author of more than 30 peer reviewed articles and has lectured at conferences in the United States and abroad.Source:(Newark Beth Israel Medical Center)

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