ATLANTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Surgeons with Piedmont Atlanta have successfully performed a rare surgery that replaces the patient’s heart and liver at the same time, according to the hospital system.
The joint transplant was the first of its kind in Georgia in a decade and only the second adult procedure ever performed in the state, Piedmont said. Only about 50 have ever been performed in the Southeast, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing.
The transplant required teams from the Piedmont Transplant Institute and the Piedmont Heart Institute to work closely together.
“High-quality care for patients in both end-stage liver and heart failure must be multidisciplinary,” said Dr. Jonathan Hundley, surgical director of Piedmont’s liver transplant program. “With the deep expertise of both our abdominal and heart transplant teams, we are in the position at Piedmont to join forces for these patients and perform this complex operation.”
According to Piedmont, heart disease can impact the liver, while liver disease can impact the heart. A transplant patient has the best chance of success if one organ is strong enough to withstand major surgery on the other, which often isn’t the case.
That’s why joint transplants are so important, Hundley said. Piedmont also performs kidney-heart, kidney-liver and kidney-pancreas transplants.
Standalone liver and heart transplants are on the rise at Piedmont. Between fiscal years 2023 and 2024, liver transplants increased by 33%, while heart transplants rose a stunning 500% between fiscal years 2022 and 2023.
U.S. News and World Report recently named Piedmont Heart Institute the best in the state for cardiology, heart and vascular surgery in its 2025-2026 rankings.
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