Heart Transplant Progam

Heart transplantation is a last resort option for people with heart failure. To be considered for a heart transplant, a person's heart must be unresponsive to other forms of treatment and all other vital organs must be in excellent health.

The heart transplant surgery must be performed immediately after a suitable donor heart becomes available. The recipient is placed on a heart-lung machine that takes over the functions of the heart and lungs so the diseased heart can be removed and replaced with the new heart. Once the blood vessels are reconnected, the heart is ready to function.

Following transplantation, a patient's immune system treats the new organ as a foreign tissue and produces antibodies to destroy it. This rejection of the new organ is an anticipated complication. Immunosuppressive drugs are prescribed to prevent this response.

Please contact the Cardiovascular Center at (888) 287-1082 if you are interested in further information.