immune disorders
Heart Transplantation
Introduction
Heart transplantation is the removal of a healthy heart from a recently deceased person and then its transfer into the body of a person who has a severe heart disorder that can no longer be treated effectively with drugs or other types of surgery. (See also Overview of Transplantation .) Biology of the Heart transplantation is reserved for people who have one of the following disorders if the disorder cannot be treated effectively with drugs or other forms of surgery: Severe None Overview of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) None Overview of Abnormal Heart Rhythms (arrhythmias) Other severe heart disorders Heart transplantation alone cannot be done if people have Pulmonary Hypertension (high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs) that has not responded to drug treatment. These people would likely be candidates for combined In some medical centers, heart machines can keep people alive for weeks or months until a compatible heart can be found. Also, implantable artificial hearts (called ventricular assist devices or VADs) that pump blood to the rest of the body are being used to tide people over until a heart is available or are used in people who are not candidates for heart transplantation. These devices are increasingly being used as a long-term replacement. As a result, the need for heart transplantation has somewhat decreased. About 95% of people who have had a heart transplant are substantially better able to exercise and do daily activities than they were before the transplantation. Over 70% return to full-time employment. About 85 to 90% of heart transplant recipients survive for at least 1 year. 