Naples' heart beats fast: at Monaldi Hospital, a record number of transplants and a mortality rate plummet to 9%.

NAPLES – The heart of the Campania transplant community beats ever stronger, and it does so under the colors of the Monaldi Stadium. The Neapolitan hospital, a regional benchmark, presented its three-year report today, Friday, December 19, confirming its position among the national leaders in the field. The numbers are clearly growing, and the survival rate is impressive: over the last three years, the one-year mortality rate after heart transplants has been reduced to 9%, compared to the Italian average, which still stands at around 25%.

"Our 365-day survival rate has increased to 90%," explained Claudio Marra, director of the Innovative Procedures Unit in Cardiac Surgery and Transplants at the hospital directed by Anna Iervolino. This is a remarkable figure, compared to the national average of 75%. But the real revolution is twofold: quality is accompanied by quantity. Transplant activity has seen a 43% increase, from 15 to 23 heart transplants. Added to these are eight LVAD (artificial heart) procedures, with a one-year survival rate of 85%. Monaldi thus confirms itself among the few centers in Italy to have successfully performed transplants with the support of mechanical devices.

The recipe for success, according to the hospital's management, is no secret: it's teamwork. A multidisciplinary approach integrates diverse skills at every stage, from caring for patients with advanced heart failure, to post-operative care, to lifelong follow-up. "Care is comprehensive," the hospital emphasizes, with anesthesiologists, internists, and cardiologists coordinating the various phases of recovery and clinical monitoring.

During the meeting, all aspects of the supply chain were explored in depth. Dr. Cristiano Amarelli presented the latest updates on immunotherapy, while physicians Irene Mattucci and Angelo Caiazzo illustrated the organization and results of outpatient services for transplant patients. Post-surgery quality of life was given considerable attention, with psychologists Mariella Pratillo and Valentina Penta focusing on psychological aspects and daily life after transplantation.

There was no shortage of future prospects, outlined by Doctors Fabio Ursomando and Salvatore Costanza, who indicated the center's next development trajectories.

The Monaldi model is also being used as an example at the regional level. "The results presented today confirm that when working with a team approach, quality improves," commented Pierino Di Silverio, coordinator of the Campania Regional Transplant Center. "In Campania, we are reorganizing the transplant network based on integration between centers, shared pathways, and ongoing collaboration: from admission to post-transplant management."

The Naples center's best practice demonstrates how investing in an integrated system and specialized teams not only saves lives but also creates a path of excellence for patients well beyond surgery.