How does heart transplantation work?

Heart transplantation in layman’s terms means when a diseased or failing heart is replaced with a healthier donor heart. It is the last resort when the condition of the patient is not improved with medications or surgery. Other factors for transplantation can be a weakening of heart muscle, coronary artery disease, heart problem you’re born with, or heart valve disease.  

Transplantation of the heart shouldn’t be considered for everyone as an individual might not be a good candidate if he/she is at an advanced age that might rupture the ability to recover from a surgery or have a recent medical history of cancer to name a few reasons.  

 Risks involved  

– Primary graft failure is the condition where the donor’s heart doesn’t function results in death within few months after transplantation. 

– One of the most significant risks is the body rejecting the donor’s heart. To assist prevention of heart getting rejected, take the suggested medications on time. 

– Infections are quite common as immunosuppressants decrease the ability to fight infection. People with transplanted hearts have to spend the first year in the hospital to combat the infection.   

The donor’s search  

The transplant center gauges if you are a good candidate for a heart transplant and if you cross that hurdle, you’ll be put on the waiting list. The queue can be long since there will be a lot many people who need donors. Moreover, the wait can be long since finding a donor depends on your size and your blood type. Meanwhile, the medical team will assist you with a good diet and the importance of being active.  

If the medical therapy fails to support the organs, the doctor will recommend a device implanted to support the heart while you wait for a donor organ. These kinds of devices are known as ventricular assist devices.  

If you find a donor, for organ preservation in transplant surgery, intracellular crystalloid cardioplegic solution types are used by many centres for myocardial protection in complex cardiac surgery alongside the preservation in transplant surgery. The custodial cardioplegia solution preserves the organ temporarily.