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Research Overview

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Dr. Kim has a wide range of clinical and research interests. His early work as a fellow at the Transplantation Biology Research Center with Dr. David Sachs focused on transplant tolerance induction in miniature swine using in utero stem cell transplantation, a research interest that he developed while a research fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Alan Flake at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In 2002, he developed a novel intestinal lengthening procedure known as the Serial Transverse Enteroplasty (STEP) to treat patients with short bowel syndrome and the STEP is now the preferred surgical procedure worldwide for this condition. He has also pioneered innovative approaches to transplantation of small children with vascular abnormalities and was the first in the world to successfully transplant a partial esophagus as part of a multivisceral transplant.

Recently, he was involved in organizing one of the most comprehensive multidisciplinary centers in the world dedicated to the treatment of children with midaortic syndrome and renovascular hypertension. This has resulted in development of two novel methods to treat these children without the need for prosthetic grafts. The first known as Tissue Expander Stimulated Lengthening of Arteries (TESLA) is a procedure in which the normal aorta is lengthened using a tissue expander allowing for aortic replacement without a prosthetic graft. The second known as Mesenteric Artery Growth Improves Circulation (MAGIC) takes advantage of the natural ability of arteries to grow when placed into the correct environment and uses one of these arteries as the actual bypass graft, again avoiding the need for prosthetic graft material in small growing children. He is currently a Co-Director of the Surgical Innovation Fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital aimed at training and developing the next generation of surgical innovators.

Research Background

Dr. Heung Bae Kim is a Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and the Weitzman Family Chair in Surgical Innovation at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH). He currently serves as the Vice Chair for Clinical Operations in the Department of Surgery and the Director of the Pediatric Transplant Center at BCH. Born in Korea but raised in Philadelphia, Dr. Kim attended Yale University as an undergraduate and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine before starting his general surgical training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. After completing his Pediatric Surgical Fellowship in 2002 at BCH and his Liver Transplant Fellowship at the Lahey Clinic in 2004, he assumed the surgical directorship of both the liver and kidney transplant programs and started the only intestine transplant program in New England, completing the first multivisceral transplant in 2004. Under his leadership, the Pediatric Transplant Center has grown into one of the busiest and most comprehensive pediatric transplant centers in the country.

Dr. Kim has won numerous academic awards including the Penn Pearls Teaching Award for medical student teaching at the University of Pennsylvania, the Keith Reemstma Surgical Resident of the Year Award at Penn (voted by the attending staff among all surgical residents), the Rosenkrantz Resident Research Award for the best presentation at the American Academy of Pediatrics Surgical Section, and the Teacher of the Year Award at BCH three times as the best teacher as voted by the surgical residents. In 2013, he was the first recipient of the Sheikh Zayed Prize for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at the Pediatric Surgical Innovation Symposium in Washington DC. He has served in several national leadership roles at the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) including the Chair of the Pediatric Transplantation Committee, Region 1 Councillor and Region 1 Representative to the Board of Directors. He is currently Vice Chair of the Membership and Professional Standards Committee at UNOS and is also currently serving as Chair of the Board of Trustees of New England Donor Services. He has lectured worldwide on his clinical and research interests and was invited to Japan to perform the first STEP procedure in that country. He has coauthored more than 100 original papers or chapters and has contributed significantly to both the pediatric surgical and the transplantation literature.

Education

Undergraduate School

Yale University
1989 New Haven CT

Medical School

Albert Einstein College of Medicine
1993 Bronx NY

Internship

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
1994 Philadelphia PA

Residency

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
2000 Philadelphia PA

Fellowship

Pediatric Surgery Boston Children's Hospital
2002 Boston MA

Fellowship

Liver Transplantation Lahey Clinic
2004 Burlington MA

Media

Caregiver Profile

Meet Dr. Heung Bae Kim

Pediatric Transplant Center

Learn more about the Pediatric Transplant Center - one of the most advanced pediatric transplant centers in the country.

30 Years of Liver Transplant

Our team has spent more than three decades giving thousands of children with end-stage liver disease a second chance at life.

STEP Procedure

Dr. Heung Bae Kim on the STEP procedure.

MAGIC Procedure

Watch Heung Bae Kim, MD explain Mesenteric Artery Growth to Improve Circulation (MAGIC), a type of surgery he helped pioneer for midaortic syndrome.

TESLA Procedure

Watch Heung Bae Kim, MD explain Tissue Expander Stimulated Lengthening of the Arteries (TESLA), a procedure he helped pioneer for midaortic syndrome.

#becauseofadonor - Mac

Meet Mac - a kidney transplant recipient at Boston Children's Hospital.

#becauseofadonor - Bri

Meet Bri - a kidney transplant recipient at Boston Children's Hospital

#becauseofadonor - Tom

Tom received his liver transplant at 15 years old. #becauseofadonor, Tom is able to run the Boston Marathon.

Justin's Story

Justin seemed perfectly healthy, but at a routine checkup to clear him for football season, his pediatrician noticed his blood pressure was extremely high. Tests uncovered a troubling diagnosis: Midaortic syndrome.

Publications

  1. Early Graft Loss With Suspected Seventh-Day Syndrome Following Pediatric Liver Transplantation. Pediatr Transplant. 2024 Aug; 28(5):e14818. View Abstract
  2. Effect of citizenship status on access to pediatric liver and kidney transplantation. Am J Transplant. 2024 Oct; 24(10):1868-1880. View Abstract
  3. Clinical and immunophenotype correlating with response to immunotherapy in paediatric patients with primary liver carcinoma. A case series. EBioMedicine. 2024 Jun; 104:105147. View Abstract
  4. Cold Therapy for Pain Control in Pediatric Appendectomy Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Pediatr Surg. 2024 Jul; 59(7):1304-1308. View Abstract
  5. Metastatic pulmonary calcifications after pediatric liver transplantation. Pediatr Transplant. 2024 Feb; 28(1):e14693. View Abstract
  6. Autologous and synthetic pediatric iliofemoral reconstruction: a novel technique for pediatric iliofemoral artery reconstruction. J Vasc Surg Cases Innov Tech. 2024 Apr; 10(2):101413. View Abstract
  7. Immediate extubation after pediatric liver transplantation: Update on a single-center experience. Pediatr Transplant. 2024 Feb; 28(1):e14669. View Abstract
  8. Outcomes of laparoscopic gastrostomy in children with and without the use of a modified T-fastener technique. Surgery. 2023 09; 174(3):698-702. View Abstract
  9. Attitudes Toward Surgical Innovation Research in the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Match. J Pediatr Surg. 2023 Oct; 58(10):2006-2011. View Abstract
  10. Equity factors in pediatric transplant listing: Initial findings from a single center review. Pediatr Transplant. 2023 03; 27(2):e14467. View Abstract
  11. Pediatric button battery ingestion: A single center experience and risk score to predict severe outcomes. J Pediatr Surg. 2023 Apr; 58(4):613-618. View Abstract
  12. Staple aneurysmorrhaphy and suture venoplasty for repair of large bilateral external iliac vein aneurysms in an adolescent. J Vasc Surg Cases Innov Tech. 2022 Sep; 8(3):496-499. View Abstract
  13. Outcomes of internal biliary diversion using cholecystocolostomy for patients with severe Alagille syndrome. J Surg Case Rep. 2022 Jul; 2022(7):rjac307. View Abstract
  14. Functional side-to-side splenorenal shunts to treat extrahepatic portal vein thrombosis in children. Am J Surg. 2022 07; 224(1 Pt B):530-534. View Abstract
  15. Triple gallbladder with heterotopic gastric mucosa: a case report. BMC Pediatr. 2022 01 20; 22(1):52. View Abstract
  16. Prenatal diagnosis of rapidly enlarging choledochal cyst with gastric outlet obstruction. J Surg Case Rep. 2021 Dec; 2021(12):rjab547. View Abstract
  17. Midaortic syndrome and renovascular hypertension. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2021 Dec; 30(6):151124. View Abstract
  18. The Paired T-Fastener Technique: A Bolster-Free Gastropexy for Laparoscopic Gastrostomy Tube Placement. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2021 Dec; 31(12):1431-1435. View Abstract
  19. Utilization of the Boston Children's Hospital SRTR Cohort Visualization Tool to increase team understanding of reporting cohorts. Pediatr Transplant. 2021 12; 25(8):e14117. View Abstract
  20. Trends in Surgical Patents Held by Surgeons From 1993 to 2018. Ann Surg. 2022 12 01; 276(6):e1107-e1113. View Abstract
  21. Surgical management of pediatric renovascular hypertension and midaortic syndrome at a single-center multidisciplinary program. J Vasc Surg. 2021 07; 74(1):79-89.e2. View Abstract
  22. Transient elastography assessment of liver allograft fibrosis in pediatric transplant recipients. Pediatr Transplant. 2020 09; 24(6):e13736. View Abstract
  23. The re-occurrence of cardiomyopathy in propionic acidemia after liver transplantation. JIMD Rep. 2020 Jul; 54(1):3-8. View Abstract
  24. Biliary Atresia: Biliary-Enteric Drainage or Primary Liver Transplant? Hepatology. 2020 02; 71(2):751-752. View Abstract
  25. Donor-to-recipient weight ratio is a risk factor for hepatic artery thrombosis after whole-liver transplantation in children under 25 kg. Pediatr Transplant. 2020 03; 24(2):e13623. View Abstract
  26. Reply to letter to the editor. J Pediatr Surg. 2020 01; 55(1):202. View Abstract
  27. Impact of standardized protocols for cytomegalovirus disease prevention in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients. Pediatr Transplant. 2019 11; 23(7):e13568. View Abstract
  28. Perioperative renal transplantation management in small children using adult-sized living or deceased donor kidneys: A single-center experience. Pediatr Transplant. 2019 11; 23(7):e13553. View Abstract
  29. Predictors of Need for Liver Transplantation in Children Undergoing Hepatoportoenterostomy for Biliary Atresia. J Pediatr Surg. 2019 Jun; 54(6):1127-1131. View Abstract
  30. Autologous intestinal reconstruction surgery. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2018 Aug; 27(4):261-266. View Abstract
  31. Long-term outcomes of liver transplantation for hepatoblastoma: A single-center 14-year experience. Pediatr Transplant. 2018 Jun 11; e13250. View Abstract
  32. Mesenteric Artery Growth Improves Circulation (MAGIC) in Midaortic Syndrome. Ann Surg. 2018 06; 267(6):e109-e111. View Abstract
  33. Whole Exome Sequencing Reveals a Monogenic Cause of Disease in ˜43% of 35 Families With Midaortic Syndrome. Hypertension. 2018 04; 71(4):691-699. View Abstract
  34. To Split or Not to Split? That is No Longer the Question. J Pediatr. 2018 05; 196:12-13. View Abstract
  35. Tissue expander-stimulated lengthening of arteries for the treatment of midaortic syndrome in children. J Vasc Surg. 2018 06; 67(6):1664-1672. View Abstract
  36. Bilateral native nephrectomy to reduce oxalate stores in children at the time of combined liver-kidney transplantation for primary hyperoxaluria type 1. Pediatr Nephrol. 2018 05; 33(5):881-887. View Abstract
  37. Pediatric liver transplantation. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2017 Aug; 26(4):217-223. View Abstract
  38. Incidence and predictors of massive bleeding in children undergoing liver transplantation: A single-center retrospective analysis. Paediatr Anaesth. 2017 Jul; 27(7):718-725. View Abstract
  39. Multivisceral transplantation for abdominal tumors in children: A single center experience and review of the literature. Pediatr Transplant. 2017 Aug; 21(5). View Abstract
  40. Umbilical Venous Catheter Malposition Is Associated with Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Premature Infants. Neonatology. 2017; 111(4):337-343. View Abstract
  41. Variation in resource utilization in liver transplantation at freestanding children's hospitals. Pediatr Transplant. 2016 Nov; 20(7):921-925. View Abstract
  42. Successful Recovery and Transplantation of 11 Organs Including Face, Bilateral Upper Extremities, and Thoracic and Abdominal Organs From a Single Deceased Organ Donor. Transplantation. 2016 Oct; 100(10):2226-9. View Abstract
  43. YAP Subcellular Localization and Hippo Pathway Transcriptome Analysis in Pediatric Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Sci Rep. 2016 09 08; 6:30238. View Abstract
  44. Outcomes after discontinuation of routine use of transanastomotic biliary stents in pediatric liver transplantation at a single site. Pediatr Transplant. 2016 Aug; 20(5):647-51. View Abstract
  45. Strain induced esophageal growth in a novel rodent model. J Pediatr Surg. 2016 Aug; 51(8):1273-8. View Abstract
  46. Tissue expander stimulated lengthening of arteries (TESLA) induces early endothelial cell proliferation in a novel rodent model. J Pediatr Surg. 2016 Apr; 51(4):617-21. View Abstract
  47. The effect of graft type on mortality in liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma. Ann Transplant. 2015 Mar 30; 20:175-85. View Abstract
  48. Bone marrow engraftment and associated dermatologic sequelae in a three-yr-old after liver transplantation. Pediatr Transplant. 2015 Mar; 19(2):E41-6. View Abstract
  49. Treatment and outcomes of immune cytopenias following solid organ transplant in children. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2015 02; 62(2):214-218. View Abstract
  50. Frostbite of the liver: an unrecognized cause of primary non-function? Pediatr Transplant. 2014 Feb; 18(1):E10-2. View Abstract
  51. First STEPs: serial transverse enteroplasty as a primary procedure in neonates with congenital short bowel. J Pediatr Surg. 2014 Jan; 49(1):104-7; discussion 108. View Abstract
  52. Ductus venosus closure results in transient portal hypertension--is this the silent trigger for necrotizing enterocolitis? J Pediatr Surg. 2013 Oct; 48(10):2067-74. View Abstract
  53. Deceased-donor split-liver transplantation in adult recipients: is the learning curve over? J Am Coll Surg. 2013 Oct; 217(4):672-684.e1. View Abstract
  54. Deceased donor liver transplantation in infants and small children: are partial grafts riskier than whole organs? Liver Transpl. 2013 Jul; 19(7):721-9. View Abstract
  55. Pediatric blunt abdominal aortic injury and the use of intra-operative aortic ultrasound for surgical decision making. J Pediatr Surg. 2013 Jul; 48(7):1584-7. View Abstract
  56. Midaortic syndrome: 30 years of experience with medical, endovascular and surgical management. Pediatr Nephrol. 2013 Oct; 28(10):2023-33. View Abstract
  57. Pulmonary support on day 30 as a predictor of morbidity and mortality in congenital diaphragmatic hernia. J Pediatr Surg. 2013 Jun; 48(6):1183-9. View Abstract
  58. Organ donation for children: the road ahead. Pediatrics. 2013 Jun; 131(6):e1946-7. View Abstract
  59. Transjugular retrograde cannulation of the portal vein via patent ductus venosus: alternative access for endovascular hepatic interventions. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2013 Jan; 24(1):81-4. View Abstract
  60. A novel treatment for the midaortic syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2012 Dec 13; 367(24):2361-2. View Abstract
  61. Bowel re-dilation following serial transverse enteroplasty (STEP). Pediatr Surg Int. 2012 Dec; 28(12):1189-93. View Abstract
  62. Bilateral lung transplant for hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia in a pediatric patient. Pediatr Transplant. 2012 Dec; 16(8):E364-7. View Abstract
  63. Rapid reversal of uremic neuropathy following renal transplantation in an adolescent. Pediatr Transplant. 2012 Nov; 16(7):E296-300. View Abstract
  64. Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy in intestinal transplant recipients. J Pediatr Surg. 2010 Nov; 45(11):e19-22. View Abstract
  65. Urgent revascularization for hepatic artery thrombosis: maybe good for the few, definitely good for the many. Liver Transpl. 2010 Jul; 16(7):812-4. View Abstract
  66. Autologous intestinal reconstruction surgery for intestinal failure management. Curr Opin Organ Transplant. 2010 Jun; 15(3):341-5. View Abstract
  67. Combined en bloc liver-double kidney transplantation in an infant with IVC thrombosis. Pediatr Transplant. 2011 Nov; 15(7):E142-4. View Abstract
  68. Autologous intestinal reconstruction surgery. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2010 Feb; 19(1):59-67. View Abstract
  69. Small intestinal volvulus caused by loose surgical staples. J Pediatr Surg. 2009 Sep; 44(9):1824-6. View Abstract
  70. Hepatic failure in a rapidly involuting congenital hemangioma of the liver: failure of embolotherapy. Pediatr Radiol. 2009 Oct; 39(10):1118-23. View Abstract
  71. A murine model of graft-vs-host disease after in utero hematopoietic cell transplantation. J Pediatr Surg. 2009 Jun; 44(6):1102-7; discussion 1107. View Abstract
  72. Neonatal hemochromatosis and patent ductus venosus: clinical course and diagnostic pitfalls. Pediatr Radiol. 2009 Aug; 39(8):823-7. View Abstract
  73. Long-term nutritional and clinical outcomes after serial transverse enteroplasty at a single institution. J Pediatr Surg. 2009 May; 44(5):939-43. View Abstract
  74. Thoracoscopic aortopexy for treatment of tracheomalacia in infants and children. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2009 Apr; 19 Suppl 1:S249-54. View Abstract
  75. Preservation of intestinal motility after the serial transverse enteroplasty procedure in a large animal model of short bowel syndrome. J Pediatr Surg. 2009 Jan; 44(1):229-35; discussion 235. View Abstract
  76. Hepatoblastoma presenting with focal nodular hyperplasia after treatment of neuroblastoma. J Pediatr Surg. 2008 Dec; 43(12):2297-300. View Abstract
  77. Safety of minimal immunosuppression in liver transplantation for hepatoblastoma. J Pediatr Surg. 2008 Jun; 43(6):1148-52. View Abstract
  78. Ileal exclusion for refractory symptomatic cholestasis in Alagille syndrome. J Pediatr Surg. 2007 May; 42(5):800-5. View Abstract
  79. First report of the international serial transverse enteroplasty data registry: indications, efficacy, and complications. J Am Coll Surg. 2007 Mar; 204(3):365-71. View Abstract
  80. The second STEP: the feasibility of repeat serial transverse enteroplasty. J Pediatr Surg. 2006 Dec; 41(12):1951-6. View Abstract
  81. Serial transverse enteroplasty for management of refractory D-lactic acidosis in short-bowel syndrome. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2006 Sep; 43(3):395-7. View Abstract
  82. Growth and nutritional status in infants with short-bowel syndrome after the serial transverse enteroplasty procedure. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2006 Oct; 4(10):1237-41. View Abstract
  83. Serial transverse enteroplasty enhances intestinal function in a model of short bowel syndrome. Ann Surg. 2006 Feb; 243(2):223-8. View Abstract
  84. Mesogonadal shunts for extrahepatic portal vein thrombosis and variceal hemorrhage. Liver Transpl. 2005 Nov; 11(11):1389-94. View Abstract
  85. The role of enteral nutrition in the reversal of parenteral nutrition-associated liver dysfunction in infants. J Pediatr Surg. 2005 Jun; 40(6):1015-8. View Abstract
  86. Serial transverse enteroplasty is associated with successful short-term outcomes in infants with short bowel syndrome. J Pediatr Surg. 2005 Jun; 40(6):1019-23; discussion 1023-4. View Abstract
  87. In utero bone marrow transplantation induces kidney allograft tolerance across a full major histocompatibility complex barrier in Swine. Transplantation. 2005 May 15; 79(9):1084-90. View Abstract
  88. Stable multilineage chimerism across full MHC barriers without graft-versus-host disease following in utero bone marrow transplantation in pigs. Exp Hematol. 2005 Mar; 33(3):371-9. View Abstract
  89. Congenital absence of the right upper lobe bronchus with double segmental tracheal bronchi. Ann Thorac Surg. 2005 Jan; 79(1):331-4. View Abstract
  90. Rapid recurrence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease after transplantation in a child with hypopituitarism and hepatopulmonary syndrome. Liver Transpl. 2005 Jan; 11(1):108-10. View Abstract
  91. Esophageal atresia, duodenal atresia, and unilateral lung agenesis: a case report. J Pediatr Surg. 2004 Aug; 39(8):1283-5. View Abstract
  92. Contouring buttock reconstruction after sacrococcygeal teratoma resection. J Pediatr Surg. 2004 Mar; 39(3):439-41; discussion 439-41. View Abstract
  93. In utero hematopoietic cell transplantation: what are the important questions? Fetal Diagn Ther. 2004 Jan-Feb; 19(1):9-12. View Abstract
  94. Serial transverse enteroplasty for short bowel syndrome: a case report. J Pediatr Surg. 2003 Jun; 38(6):881-5. View Abstract
  95. Ultrasonographic guidance for location of the trachea during the EXIT procedure for cervical teratoma. J Pediatr Surg. 2003 Apr; 38(4):E12. View Abstract
  96. Serial transverse enteroplasty (STEP): a novel bowel lengthening procedure. J Pediatr Surg. 2003 Mar; 38(3):425-9. View Abstract
  97. Life threatening tension pneumoperitoneum from intestinal perforation during air reduction of intussusception. Paediatr Anaesth. 2002 Nov; 12(9):798-800. View Abstract
  98. Fetal wound repair results in scar formation in interleukin-10-deficient mice in a syngeneic murine model of scarless fetal wound repair. J Pediatr Surg. 2000 Jun; 35(6):866-72; discussion 872-3. View Abstract
  99. A kinetic model for the homing and migration of prenatally transplanted marrow. Blood. 1999 Nov 01; 94(9):3251-7. View Abstract
  100. Postnatal booster injections increase engraftment after in utero stem cell transplantation. J Surg Res. 1999 May 01; 83(1):44-7. View Abstract
  101. In utero bone marrow transplantation induces donor-specific tolerance by a combination of clonal deletion and clonal anergy. J Pediatr Surg. 1999 May; 34(5):726-9; discussion 729-30. View Abstract
  102. Persistent postnatal transgene expression in both muscle and liver after fetal injection of recombinant adenovirus. J Pediatr Surg. 1999 May; 34(5):766-72; discussion 772-3. View Abstract
  103. The role of ultrasonography in fetal surgery and invasive fetal procedures. Semin Roentgenol. 1999 Jan; 34(1):62-77. View Abstract
  104. Microchimerism and tolerance after in utero bone marrow transplantation in mice. J Surg Res. 1998 Jun; 77(1):1-5. View Abstract
  105. Orthotopic liver transplantation for inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the liver hilum. J Pediatr Surg. 1996 Jun; 31(6):840-2. View Abstract
  106. Management of an abdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst using laparoscopic techniques. Surg Laparosc Endosc. 1995 Apr; 5(2):151-4. View Abstract
  107. Digitally assisted laparoscopic drainage of multiple intraabdominal abscesses. J Laparoendosc Surg. 1993 Oct; 3(5):477-9. View Abstract

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