Heart transplant
A heart transplant is a surgical operation to transplant an organ, performed on patients with end-stage heart failure or severe coronary artery disease.
The most common procedure is to take the heart of a recently diseased donor and implant it in the patient. The patient’s own heart is extracted, or in some less frequent cases, is left in as a backup to the donor’s heart
In order for a patient to be recommended for a heart transplant they will generally have advanced, irreversible heart failure with a severely limited life expectancy. Other possible treatments for their condition, including medication, should have been considered prior to recommendation.
Generally, the following causes of heart failure can be treated with a heart transplant:
- Cardiomyopathy
- Congenital heart disease
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart valve disease
- Life-threatening arrhythmias.
