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Heart transplant - Risks

Alternative Names

Cardiac transplant; Transplant - heart; Transplantation - heart

Risks:

Risks from any anesthesia are:

  • Reactions to medications
  • Problems breathing

Risks from any surgery are:

  • Bleeding
  • Infection

Risks of transplant include:

  • Blood clots (deep venous thrombosis)
  • Damage to the kidneys, liver, or other organs from anti-rejection medications
  • Development of cancer from the drugs used to prevent rejection
  • Heart attack or stroke
  • Heart rhythm problems
  • High cholesterol levels, diabetes, and bone thinning from the use of rejection medications
  • Increased risk for infections due to anti-rejection medications
  • Rejection of the heart
  • Severe coronary artery disease
  • Wound infections
  • Reviewed last on: 5/4/2011
  • Shabir Bhimji, MD, PhD, Specializing in General Surgery, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Midland, TX. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Bernstein D. Pediatric Heart and Heart-Lung Transplantation. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th Ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 443.

McCarthy PM. Surgical management of heart failure. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Zipes DP, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa ; Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 27.

Costanzo MR, Dipchand A, Starling R, Anderson A, Chan M, Desai S, et al. International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation Guidelines. The International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation Guidelines for the care of heart transplant recipients. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2010;29(8):914-956.

Jessup M, Abraham WT, Casey DE, Feldman AM, Francis GS, Ganiats TG, et al. 2009 focused update: ACCF/AHA Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure in Adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines: developed in collaboration with the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Circulation. 2009; 119(14):1977-2016.

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