What is a Heart Transplant?

According to the Mayo Clinic, a heart transplant is an operation in which

a diseased, failing heart is replaced with a healthier donor heart.
Typically, heart transplants are suggested to patients whose heart
condition does not improve in spite of medications or other surgeries.

Why is it needed?

A few reasons why a Surgeon might suggest Heart Transplantation are

Cardiomyopathy (the heart is too weak to efficiently pump blood),
Coronary Artery Disease (the buildup of plaque/fatty deposits in arteries
which supply oxygenated blood to the heart), Heart Valve Disease (the
valves do not function efficiently), Congenital Heart Defects (heart
problems you’re born with), Ventricular Arrhythmias (abnormal Heart
rhythms), and previous heart transplants that failed.

Who is eligible to get it?

Surgeons are required to evaluate if a patient is eligible for the

procedure through a common checklist. This includes patients whose
heart condition will benefit from this procedure rather than alternatives,
who are otherwise healthy enough to undergo the procedure, who are
willing to take postoperative lifestyle changes prescribed by the surgeon
(i.e. quit smoking, quit drinking, diet, etc.), who can emotionally handle
the wait for a donor, and have a supportive network who can help you
preoperatively and postoperatively.

What are the risks associated with the procedure?

As with every procedure, there are certain risks that surgeons need to
watch out for. These may include the body rejecting the donor heart,
primary graft failure, arterial problems, infections, medication
side-effects, and cancer.
What are the different types of heart transplant?

There are 2 major types of transplant, namely Single Heart Transplant,

and Dual Organ Transplantation. Single Heart Transplant only includes
the transplantation of the Heart, while Dual Organ Transplantation
includes the heart and another organ, such as the Lungs, Liver, or
Kidneys.

Are there any other options other than a heart transplant?

Another option in place of transplantation would be the use of Ventricular

Assist Devices (VAD). These are battery-operated mechanical pumps
that assist in pumping blood from the ventricles throughout the body.

Sources

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2019,

November 16). Heart transplant. Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/heart-transplant/about/pac-
20384750.

Coronary artery disease: Causes, symptoms, diagnosis & treatments.

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.).
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16898-coronary-artery-dise
ase.

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2020, March 3).
Heart valve disease. Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-valve-disease/sym
ptoms-causes/syc-20353727.

Types. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.).

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/transplant/programs/heart/typ
es.