Heart transplant

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Heart, front view

Heart, section through the middle

Heart transplant - series

Normal anatomy of the heart

Heart transplantation is a surgical procedure to remove a damaged or diseased heart and replace it with a healthy donor heart.

Cardiac transplant; Transplant - heart

Heart transplant is the fourth most common transplant operation in the U.S., with over 2,200 cases per year. Cornea, kidney and liver transplants are the most common. A healthy heart is obtained from a donor who is brain dead but on life-support. The healthy heart is put into a special solution that preserves the organ.

The patient is put into a deep sleep with general anesthesia, and a cut is made through the breast bone. The patient's blood is circulated through a heart-lung bypass machine to keep the blood oxygen-rich. The patient's diseased heart is removed and the donor heart is stitched in place. The heart-lung machine is disconnected. Blood flows through the transplanted heart.

A heart transplant may be recommended for:

Heart failure caused by

• Coronary artery disease
• Cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle)
• Heart valve disease with congestive heart failure
• Severe heart disease  present at birth
• Life-threatening abnormal heart beats that do not respond to other therapy

Heart transplant surgery is not recommended for patients who have:

• Kidney, lung, or liver disease
• Insulin-dependent diabetes with poor function of other organs
• Other types of blood vessel disease of the neck and leg
• Other life-threatening diseases

Review Date: 08/11/2005
Reviewed By: Joseph P. Hart, M.D., Marco Polo Traveling Fellow c/o Department of Vascular Surgery, A. Z. St. Blasius Hospital (Belgium). Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.