The first pediatric heart transplant ever performed in San Diego took place at Rady Children’s Hospital. The recipient was an 11-year-old boy.
Eric Montaño went on the heart transplant waiting list last August. He suffered from restrictive cardiomyopathy, a disorder that prevented his heart from filling with blood properly.
Eric's mom, Alma Mundo, said she got the call from the hospital last week. A donor heart had been found, and she needed to get Eric to the hospital immediately.
“My emotions were just all going crazy because I didn’t know if I was crying because I was happy, or because I was scared. I was excited, but it was really, really tough,” Mundo said.
Eric Devaney, a cardiac transplant surgeon who led the surgery, was tasked with traveling to the donor hospital to get the heart. He returned on Jan. 14 to perform the six-hour operation.
“Performing a heart transplant truly takes a team effort,” Devaney said. “In addition to the cardiologists and surgeons involved, the transplant team is comprised of a variety of healthcare professionals, including a transplant nurse, a pathologist, a pharmacist, physical and occupational therapists, social workers, dietitians, and child life specialists.”
Rady transplant cardiologist Rakesh Singh, who will oversee Eric's post-operative care, said he has an excellent prognosis.
“He has a very good chance of surviving a long time," said Singh who will be monitoring his post-operative care."My hope is that his heart can be with him for at least 20 or 30 years, assuming he does all the things we ask of him, which includes taking medications and coming in for visits.”
Eric's twin brother, Raul, also has a bad heart. He's still waiting for a donor organ to become available.
Pediatric heart transplants are rare. On average, there are fewer than 500 performed worldwide each year.
