HEART TRANSPLANT:

Who is a candidate for a heart transplant?

Heart transplantation is a last-resort option for people with heart failure. To be considered for a heart transplant, a person's heart must be unresponsive to other forms of treatment and all other vital organs must be in excellent health.

How is heart transplantation done?

The surgery must be performed immediately after a suitable donor heart becomes available. The recipient is placed on a heart-lung machine that takes over the functions of the heart and lungs so the diseased heart can be removed and replaced with the new heart. Once the blood vessels are reconnected, the heart is ready to function.

Are there any complications?

One of the main complications following heart transplantation is rejection. The body's immune system treats the new organ as foreign tissue and produces antibodies to destroy it. Immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclosporine (sie-klo-SPOR-in) are given to suppress this response. In cases of severe rejection, retransplantation may be considered if a new donor can be found. In the past, side effects of anti-rejection drugs kept elderly persons and infants from being recipients of heart transplants. Now, improvements in the field have made it possible for many newborns to those in their seventies to be eligible for a transplant.

What is the survival rate for heart transplants?