Artificial Intelligence > A Perfect Match: AI’s Role in Kataliya’s Heart Transplant Journey

A Perfect Match: AI’s Role in Kataliya’s Heart Transplant Journey

By Tehrene Firman

Kataliya was just 4 years old when she realized something was wrong with her heart.

Falling behind her siblings was an early sign of the condition that would soon shape her life. "I remember running after my brothers and I couldn't keep up. Then I would turn blue,” she says.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only one in her family with heart problems. By her early teens, Kataliya experienced the devastating death of her younger sister, who passed away suddenly from a heart condition — a loss that underscored the urgency of Kataliya's own. From then on, her life became one of medications and caution, aimed at keeping her alive.

Despite these efforts, Kataliya’s health began to decline in 2020. "I felt like I was suffocating," she recalls. That led her to Mayo Clinic, where she worked with transplant cardiologist Rohan Goswami, M.D., to find a lasting solution.

Defying the Odds

Kataliya had a difficult journey ahead of her. According to Dr. Goswami, the challenge in her case was twofold. First, she had a specific heart condition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, that elevated the risks associated with using any support devices. Additionally, she had a high level of antibodies in her bloodstream, further complicating her situation.

“I came in at 97% antibodies, which means my systems would fight 97 out of 100 hearts,” Kataliya says. “Basically, I had a very small chance they could find a match [for a transplant]. How could they find that one heart of millions that I would not reject?”

The Future of AI and Transplants

Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a powerful ally in organ transplantation, paving the way for safer and more effective outcomes. "It takes lots of patients over lots of treatment pathways and helps us identify the best one for the person sitting in front of me,” Dr. Goswami says.

Kataliya’s case is a prime example. According to Dr. Goswami, AI added a new dimension in helping her medical team understand her risks and gauge her potential for a successful match before her transplant. But that’s only scratching the surface of AI’s transformative role in transplantation.

"I think organ matching, patient survival and also looking at the ability to predict who's a high-risk or a low-risk patient are going to change the landscape of transplant in the next couple of years,” says Dr. Goswami.

At Mayo Clinic, research is already underway to explore the full potential of AI’s capabilities in transplantation. Dr. Goswami explains that advanced algorithms are helping researchers “understand and identify the factors that may be playing a more significant role in a patient's risk for infection, cancer or rejection” — insights that extend far beyond the traditional models clinicians have relied on for over 20 years.

"We are using AI to redefine our understanding of chronic disease, potentially preventing the need for organ replacement therapy altogether,” he says.

Living Life Out Loud

On June 6, 2023, Kataliya got her perfect match.

After receiving her life-changing transplant, she could, as she puts it, finally start "living life out loud." She even began running — an achievement that had previously seemed completely out of reach. "It feels very powerful," she says.

We are using AI to redefine our understanding of chronic disease, potentially preventing the need for organ replacement therapy altogether.
— Rohan Goswami, M.D.

For Kataliya, AI was more than just a technology — it was a lifeline. Thanks to the power of AI and her team's experience, she’s living a life she once thought impossible. And for the future of transplant patients, AI offers the hope of a similar second chance.