Dell Children's Heart Program Achieves Historic 50th Pediatric Heart Transplant Milestone
Dell Children's Heart Program Achieves Historic 50th Pediatric Heart Transplant Milestone
Top-10 ranked Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery program continues to achieve new heights
AUSTIN, TX – Dell Children’s Medical Center announced today the successful completion of the hospital's 50th pediatric heart transplant. This historic accomplishment was achieved through the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease, a clinical collaboration between Dell Children’s Medical Center and Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin. Achieving this milestone in just five years has solidified Dell Children's status as a national leader in complex congenital heart care, making it a destination for patients throughout Central Texas and beyond.
"Reaching our 50th pediatric heart transplant is a historic achievement and a testament to the tireless dedication of our physicians and staff, which has positioned our cardiac transplant program as one of the best in the nation," said Adam Messer, President, Dell Children’s Medical Center. "We remain committed to being a premier destination for complex cardiac care through innovation, strategic investments, superior clinical operations, recruiting top talent, and leveraging the latest medical technology."
The program’s rapid trajectory began in 2018, when Charles Fraser Jr., M.D., joined Dell Medical School and Dell Children’s to build the pediatric heart center. Under his leadership, the team expanded clinical infrastructure, recruited specialized talent and established the capabilities necessary to perform the region’s first pediatric heart transplant in 2020 — advancing an academic model where research, education and patient care converge.
"I am incredibly proud of the collective hard work and dedication of our team, which has culminated in the historic milestone of 50 transplants in our heart transplant program," said Fraser, Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Dell Medical School and Chief of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery at Dell Children’s Medical Center. "We look forward to continuing to build on this program to ensure we are providing our patients with the highest quality care possible.”
Since the launch of the first pediatric heart transplant program in Central Texas, the program has undergone an extraordinary transformation, ensuring Central Texas children—and high-acuity patients from across the U.S.—have access to the most advanced treatments available.
Key Program Milestones:
- 2019: The first LVAD is implanted — and suddenly, children with end-stage heart failure have new possibilities.
- 2020: The first pediatric heart transplant is performed at Dell Children’s. A single operation changes the trajectory of the entire region.
- 2023: Surgeons perform Texas’s first pediatric partial heart transplant, a groundbreaking procedure so rare it had only been done a handful of times globally.
- 2024: A third cath lab opens as volumes climb and the program becomes a lifeline for some of the most fragile infants in the state.
- 2025: The pediatric cardiology and heart surgery program is recognized and ranked No. 10 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report — only five years after performing its first pediatric heart transplant.
About Dell Children’s Medical Center
Dell Children’s Medical Center is the region’s only comprehensive children’s hospital and pediatric Level I trauma center. It is also Austin’s original children’s hospital, established through the efforts of local pediatricians, and has maintained a focus on providing world-class care to patients in Central Texas and beyond. In 2023, Dell Children’s expanded with the opening of Dell Children’s North, increasing access to pediatric emergency care, Level III trauma services, operating and procedure rooms and outpatient services. Dell Children’s now includes both the Main and North campuses, offering greater access to specialized care across the region. The collaboration with Dell Medical School at The University of Texas has fueled the growth of top-tier pediatric specialty programs. This team includes physicians and advanced practitioners employed by Dell Medical School alongside physicians, nurses and support staff employed by Dell Children’s. Together, nearly 400 healthcare professionals are dedicated to the care of the most vulnerable children and are a testament to the success of this academic and clinical partnership, which allows for the development of the highest level of care and advances the available treatments used to care for children. Visit www.dellchildrens.org
About Ascension Texas
In Texas, Ascension operates Ascension Providence in Waco and Ascension Seton, which includes Dell Children’s Medical Center, the region’s only comprehensive children’s hospital and pediatric Level I trauma center, and Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas, the region’s only Level I trauma center for adults. Ascension Seton partners with Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and shares a common vision of transforming healthcare through a focus on quality and value. Serving Texas for more than 120 years,
Ascension is one of the nation’s leading non-profit and Catholic health systems, with a Mission of delivering compassionate, personalized care to all with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2024, Ascension provided $2.1 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Across 17 states and the District of Columbia, Ascension’s network encompasses approximately 128,000 associates, 33,000 affiliated providers, 118 wholly owned or consolidated hospitals, and 34 senior living facilities. Additionally, through strategic partnerships, Ascension holds an ownership interest in 16 other hospitals. Visit www.ascension.org and www.dellchildrens.org.
About the Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease
The Texas Center for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease, a clinical collaboration between Dell Children’s Medical Center and Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, diagnoses, treats, and manages the care of children and adults with heart diseases and defects. Led by Charles Fraser Jr., M.D., who has been part of some of the finest institutions in medicine (including the children’s heart program ranked number one in America by U.S. News & World Report), our team provides a multifaceted continuum of care, coordinating with referring physicians and other team members to ensure patients receive the highest level of specialized care and experience a seamless transition to adult congenital cardiac care.
Details
February 24, 2026
Ascension Seton