Two years after one of the world's most successful heart transplant programs was disbanded because of questions about antitrust rules, the UTAH Cardiac Team is getting back together.
The program stands for Utah Transplantation Affiliated Hospitals - a cooperative heart transplant program among LDS, University and Veterans Administration hospitals and Primary Children's Medical Center.Now that all issues about antitrust have been cleared up, the group is getting back together with the joint venture agreement signed by officials involved.
"Cooperation between these facilities is clearly in the best interest of the community," said Dr. Dale Renlund, medical director of the transplant program.
"Our ability to provide the highest quality, cost-effective care to transplant patients is significantly enhanced by our association with one another."
Between March 1985 and January 1992, the predecessor program performed 421 heart transplants with a one-year survival rate of 90 percent and a five-year survival rate of more than 80 percent - among the best in the world.