"It was clear after months of monitoring Maz that he was quite limited in doing basic things around the house and outside. A treadmill stress test in March showed a significant decline in his exercise capacity and given his continued heart failure symptoms despite maximal medical management of his HCM, the only option for improved quality of life was a heart transplant," says Dr. Singh, who listed Maz on the transplant waiting list on April 9, 2021.
On August 26, 2021, Maz and his family got a call that a donor organ was available. The transplant procedure was performed by T.K. Susheel Kumar, MD, surgical director of the Pediatric Heart Failure and Transplant Program, pediatric cardiac surgeon and associate professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Nader Moazami, MD, surgical director of adult heart transplantation at the NYU Langone Transplant Instituteand chief of the Division of Heart and Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support.
"He is healthy and home thanks to the excellent care he received at every level especially within the Pediatric Heart Failure and Transplant Program here at NYU Langone. I am grateful to everyone that took care of Maz and feel fortunate to be a part of a team that constantly strives for the best outcomes for each of our patients," says Dr. Kumar. "It was our privilege to see this transplant through and I couldn't be happier for Maz and his family."
Maz is looking forward to starting his first semester of college where he will study mechanical engineering and getting back into mixed martial arts with his new heart.
A Leader in the Care for Children with the Most Complex Cardiac Needs
In September 2020, the Pediatric Heart Failure and Transplant Program, part of the Pediatric Congenital Heart Program at Hassenfeld Children's Hospital, was established. A national leader in pediatric and congenital cardiac surgery, the program has a 99 percent survival rate, exceeding those of the largest programs in the northeast region and national average, according to statistics from the recently validated Society of Thoracic Surgeons data. The program has developed a team-based approach to care for patients and families affected by HCM and other inherited cardiomyopathies.
"This milestone at Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone underlines our commitment to providing excellent, comprehensive care to all patients with our advanced expertise to care for children with the most complex cardiac needs," says Catherine S. Manno, MD, the Pat and John Rosenwald Professor of Pediatrics and chair of the Department of Pediatrics.
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