Oklahoma girl is hospital's 500th heart transplant recipient

ST. LOUIS -- A 12-year-old Oklahoma girl is the 500th young heart transplant recipient at St. Louis Children's Hospital and Washington University Heart Center.

Anary Suazo of Tulsa underwent the transplant Jan. 23, and the hospital announced the transplant last week. Anary turned 13 on Sunday.

The St. Louis center performed its first transplant in 1986 and now performs 15 to 20 transplants each year. In 2018, the center performed 17 heart-only transplants and two heart-lung transplants.

Anary was born with just half of her heart fully developed. The hospital said she had three open-heart surgeries in her first two years of life and did well until a setback last year required a transplant.