Heart & Lung Transplantation

The St Vincent’s Hospital Heart and Lung Transplantation program is one of the largest and longest running programs in Australia, with survival rates which exceed that of the international benchmarks. 

The transplantation program performs approximately 25-30 heart, and 60 lung transplants each year and to date has performed over 1800 transplants.

The transplant unit is the only heart and lung transplantation program in NSW and is a major referral centre for metropolitan and rural communities as well as South Australia.

The transplant unit is also involved in cutting edge research and numerous clinical trials and has affiliations with Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and the Garvan Institute for Medical Research.

Transplant assessment referrals forms

 Heart Transplant Referral Forms are available on our Heart Health Website for health professionals. Lung Transplant Assessment Referral Forms are also available on the St Vincent's Lung Health website for health professionals. These forms outline all of the investigations required before an initial outpatient consult. It's a great way to optimise appointment waiting times for people needing transplant assessment.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)

Our centre is one of three in NSW that provides retrieval of patients with severe forms of lung failure who would otherwise die without advanced lung support. We are a centre of excellence for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a form of heart lung bypass that can be used in the short to medium term to support patients who may otherwise recover or require emergency transplantation for non-resolving conditions. Our Intensive care team has now performed over 300 ECMO procedures. More info about ECMO can be found on the lung health website.

Advanced Lung Disease Service

Our service provides access to patients with both severe and rare lung conditions to a host of experienced specialists in areas such as COPD, pulmonary hypertension, Interstitial Lung Disease, lymphangiomyomatosis and end stage cystic fibrosis. As part of our ongoing program we are actively involved in research into future therapies and have access to many current and new trials into medications that may improve outcomes for patients suffering from these conditions.

Interventional Bronchoscopy Service

We provide a full range of both diagnostic and interventional procedures. We were the first centre in NSW and the second in Australia to provide endobronchial bronchoscopic ultrasound (EBUS) for the accurate diagnosis and staging of lung cancer patients and our specialists are amongst the most experienced in Australia. Stent insertion for obstructed airways and tracheo-esophageal fistulae, laser recanalisation and bronchoscopic lung volume reduction valves are amongst the other procedures that our experienced clinicians undertake.

St Vincent's Heart Health website 

For more information on heart transplantation, visit the St Vincent's Heart Health website.

Heart Health Website Resources

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiology

Cardiothoracic Surgery

St Vincent's Lung Health Website

For more information on lung transplantation, visit St Vincent's Lung Health website.

Lung Health Website Resources

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Respiratory Medicine

Helpful websites

Transplantation Society of Australia & New Zealand

The Australian Organ Donor Register

Australia and NZ Cardiothoracic Organ Transplant Registry

Australian Heart Lung Transplants Association