Memorial's Heart Transplant Program Celebrates Ten Years of Life-Saving Impact

More than ten years after she received the first adult heart transplant in Broward County, Marina Alix still gets emotional when she thinks back to that time.

“I’m alive,” she says in Spanish, “and I cry because I was on the verge of dying.”

In 2014, Marina was suffering from end-stage heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy. With Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute having gotten approval to perform adult heart transplants earlier that year, and an appropriate donor heart available, the Davie resident underwent surgery that September.

Today, Iani Patsias, MD, a cardiologist at Memorial Healthcare System specializing in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology, sees Marina every six months. The visits are to ensure the 61-year-old remains in good health, and dancing, which is one of her passions.

“It is my duty and responsibility to keep her going,” said Dr. Patsias.

In the 10 years since Marina’s surgery, Memorial’s program has successfully transplanted nearly 140 hearts, including 35 already this year. That’s more than a 200% increase from 2023 for a subspecialty that is performed by only three healthcare systems in South Florida and just eight in the entire state.

Dr. Patsias says it takes robust expertise and a multi-disciplinary approach to handle the most complicated cardiac cases.

“This institution provided all the services Marina needed to do this well. She’s gone from a sick and frail lady to being an active abuela to a one-year-old.”

Marina also underwent a successful kidney transplant at Memorial this year.

“We want people to fulfill what they want for their lives, and whatever that means to the patient, we’d like to empower that,” said Dr. Patsias. “In Marina’s case, seeing that she is doing so well is fuel to the soul.”

Memorial Transplant Institute specializes in heart and kidney surgeries for adults and kids (at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital) and has, on four occasions, transplanted both organs at the same time. It is also the only center in Broward County performing pancreas transplants.

Memorial Cardiac and Vascular Institute’s division of Advanced Heart Failure and Heart Transplant has locations in Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, and Miramar. To learn more or make an appointment, call 954-265-7750.