People in Greater Cincinnati waiting for a heart transplant will no longer have to travel hundreds of miles. After a nearly ten year hiatus, UC Health is again offering the surgery. David Waits of Hillsboro received a new heart February 2nd.
Chief of cardiac surgery, Dr. Louis B Louis IV says Waits is out of the hospital and doing well. Louis says the time was right to start doing the surgery again.
"Cincinnati is the only city is of almost 3 million people that doesn't have a advanced heart failure program that includes a heart transplant program," said Louis.
U-C stopped the program in 2008 because of low volume, according to Louis. He says it's important for the community to buy into the program and for patients to be referred to UC if they are heart transplant candidates.
Several area patients are currently on the waiting list to receive a heart transplant.
