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Dr. Sina L. Moainie

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Heart transplant

Definition:

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

Alternative Names:

Cardiac transplant; Transplant - heart

Description:

Heart transplant is one of the most common transplant operations performed in the United States. 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.

Indications:

A heart transplant may be recommended for heart failure caused by:

Heart transplant surgery is not recommended for patients who have:

References:

Lee DK. ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Heart Failure in the Adult Summary for MD Consult Cardiology. MDC Cardiology Guideline Summaries . 2002 Mar;1.

Zipes DP, Libby P, Bonow RO, Braunwald E, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine , 7th ed. St. Louis, Mo; WB Saunders; 2005: 641-651.

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