Heart transplant policies underwent significant changes in 2016 and 2018, altering how hearts are allocated to patients waiting for a transplant. These changes aimed to improve survival rates and outcomes for patients on the transplant waitlist by prioritizing those with the most pressing needs. In a recent study in Circulation, researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) reviewed the outcomes and found some patient groups benefitted from the allocation updates, while others did not experience the same level of improvement.

Meet Matthew O’Connor, MD, Medical Director of the Heart Failure and Transplant Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).