Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital Leads Nation in Heart Transplant Volume

Background

Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital began performing heart transplants in 1998. Since then, both the quantity and quality of its heart transplant procedures have continued to improve. The hospital has consistently ranked among the top performers nationally in heart transplant volume in recent years.

What was achieved

At the 27th Southern Cardiovascular Disease Academic Conference held in Guangzhou from March 19 to 22, 2026, the hospital reported its 2025 results. Its cardiac surgery department completed 7,049 heart operations that year. The heart transplant team performed 159 procedures, accounting for approximately 13.5% of the national total and setting a new record for annual volume at a single center in China.

Patient outcomes included a 30-day post-operative survival rate of 98% and a one-year survival rate exceeding 90%, reaching internationally advanced levels. Professor Huang Jinsong, deputy director of the cardiac surgery department, noted that a patient who underwent heart transplantation in 2000 continues to be followed up at the hospital. He stated that while high transplant volume is important, the team takes greatest pride in generations of patients achieving long-term survival, with some surviving more than 20 years. The team has also conducted non-intubated heart transplants to accelerate postoperative recovery and maintains a full management system for ventricular assist devices as a bridge to transplantation.

How it works

Heart transplantation is a treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure in which the heart can no longer pump blood effectively despite other therapies. A donor heart is obtained from a legally declared brain-dead individual after compatibility matching for blood type, size and other factors. During the operation, the patient is placed on a cardiopulmonary bypass machine that temporarily performs the work of the heart and lungs. The diseased heart is removed, typically leaving portions of the atria, and the donor heart is implanted by connecting the major blood vessels including the aorta, pulmonary artery and atrial cuffs. Once blood flow is restored, the new heart begins beating independently.

Following surgery, patients require intensive monitoring and lifelong immunosuppressive medication to prevent organ rejection. Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital has implemented non-intubated heart transplant approaches aimed at reducing complications and supporting faster recovery. It also employs ventricular assist devices to provide mechanical circulatory support for patients awaiting a suitable donor organ, with a comprehensive care pathway covering preoperative assessment through long-term follow-up.

What it means for international patients

In March 2026, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital was selected as one of the first batch of Guangdong International Medical Service Pilot Hospitals. It operates the Concord Medical Center, established in 1996, which was among the earliest platforms in a Chinese public hospital to adopt a Hong Kong private hospital management model. This center provides one-stop services including multilingual translation, multidisciplinary team consultations, private rooms and accompaniment for international patients, those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and has served individuals from 151 countries and regions.

International patients considering heart transplantation or advanced cardiac care may find the hospital's national leadership in volume, reported survival rates and experienced team relevant. However, organ allocation is governed by national regulations, and suitability, waiting times and specific requirements for foreign patients must be confirmed directly with the hospital, as these factors are subject to individual medical assessment and policy.

About the hospital

Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital is a large public tertiary grade A comprehensive hospital located in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Founded in 1946 as the Central Hospital of Guangzhou, it is also known as Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences. It was selected in 2018 as one of the province's first high-level construction hospitals and designated in 2019 as a co-constructed National Regional Medical Center for Cardiovascular Diseases. In 2023, its cardiac and great vessel surgery became the first and only medical institution to receive the Guangdong Provincial Government Quality Award.

The hospital maintains 18 national key clinical specialties and 36 provincial ones. Since 1980, it has served as the World Health Organization's only collaborative center for cardiovascular disease in China and the Western Pacific Region. It holds qualifications for heart, lung, liver and kidney transplantation. Its heart transplant program has ranked in the national top three for four consecutive years, is among the world's top ten centers by volume and has been recognized as a physician training base. The hospital has pioneered multiple national firsts in cardiac procedures over decades.