Heart Transplantation

A heart transplant removes a damaged or diseased heart and replaces it with a healthy one. The healthy heart comes from a donor who has died. It is the last resort for people with heart failure when all other treatments have failed. Heart transplants are now the third most common organ transplant operation in the U.S.

Doctors may recommend a heart transplant for heart failure caused by

Coronary artery disease
Cardiomyopathy - disease of the heart muscle
Heart valve disease
In babies, multiple congenital heart defects that are too complex to repair

Heart-Lung Transplant on Wikipedia

A '''heart-lung transplant''' is a procedure carried out to replace both heart and lungs in a single operation. Due to a shortage of suitable donors it is rarely done, and only about 100 such transplants are performed each year in the USA.

Qualifying Conditions

Most candidates for heart-lung transplants have life-threatening damage to both their heart and lungs. In the US, most prospective candidates have between 12 and 24 months to live. At any one time, there are about 250 people on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) in the USA - about 40 of those will die before a suitable donor is found. Conditions which may necessitate a heart-lung transplant include: *Congenital problems (defects present at birth) affecting the heart and lungs (48%) *Pulmonary hypertension (20%) *Cystic Fibrosis (2%) *A second transplant after the first transplant failed to 'take' or was rejected (4%) Candidates for a heart-lung transplant are usually required to be: *Under 55 years old *Have no other medical conditions (eg. AIDS, Diabetis, Hepatitis) *Mentally sound *Capable of following a post-op regiment of exercise and immunosuppressant drugs

History

Dr. Norman Shumway laid the groundwork for heart lung transplantation with his experiments into heart transplantation at Stanford in the mid-1960s. Shumway conducted the first adult heart transplant in the US in 1968. Building on his research at Stanford, Dr. Bruce Reitz performed the first successful heart-lung transplant on Mary Gohlke in 1981 at Stanford Hospital. The transplant team at Stanford is the longest continuously active team performing these transplants.

The Procedure

The patient is anesthetised. When the donor organs arrive, they are checked for fitness - any organs that show signs of damage are discarded and the operation cancelled. Some patients are concerned that their organs will be removed and the donor organs not suitable. Since this is ... [ Read More ]

External Resources

Second Chances: Receiving the Gift of Life - Inspirational stories about donor families and liver, kidney, and heart transplant recipients. Detailed medical information about the heart transplant surgery itself and also the process for getting listed for a heart transplant.

CryoLife Inc. - Probably the U.S. leader in research and cryopreservation of heart valves for transplant. Also preserves vascular tissue for heart bypass and vascular resonstruction, and connective tissue (tendons). Is also doing research in surgical glues.

LifeNet - LifeNet is the largest, full-service, non-profit allograft Tissue Banking System in the United States. LifeNet is also a non-profit, federally-designated, Organ Procurement Organization providing donation systems for heart, liver, kidney, pancreas,lung, and other organs for transplant.

My Name is Roosje Smid - Information about this 4 year old who has Pulmonary Hypertension, a Congenital Heart Lung Defect. Heart lung transplant will be needed in the future.

The St. Luke's Heart Failure Program - Offers information on the most recent treatment options available. Among these are proven medications, mechanical heart assist devices, and surgical interventions including transplantation.

Johns Hopkins Cardiomyopathy and Heart Transplant Service - An in-depth look at this disorder, discussing major causes, heart failure syndrome, treatment and procedures and many other topics.

Fox's Medical Page - A site describing a young woman's struggle with cardiomyopathy. She has a left ventricular assist device, and is waiting for a heart transplant. Site has links to educational sites on heart failure, assist devices, organ donation, and recipes.

Harefield Heart Transplant Club "The Hamsters" - A heart transplant support and social club, we take part in various sporting events and social evenings. The club was set up by heart recipients and is still run by recipients.

MUSC Medical Center Heart Transplant Program - About the program as well as patient education, heart failure management and a support group.

Doug's Heart - Personal experiences of Doug Fredlund who holds the record for the longest wait for a transplant on a HeartMate LVAD at the University of Minnesota Hospital.

Related Pages on HealthTales.com:

Kidney Transplantation
Liver Transplantation
Lung Transplantation
Organ Transplantation
Pancreas Transplantation
Bone Marrow Transplantation
Islet Cell Transplantation
Heart Attack
Heart Diseases
Heart Failure