Heart transplant is a surgical procedure in which a diseased heart is replaced with a healthy heart. A healthy heart is first obtained from a donor who is brain dead. The healthy heart is put in a special solution that preserves the heart for several hours. A cut is made through the breast bone of the patient receiving the heart. Meanwhile, the patient’s blood is circulated through a heart-lung bypass machine to keep it oxygen rich. The diseased heart is then removed and the donor’s heart is sutured into place. The heart-lung bypass machine is removed and the new heart is started.
Who Might Be Eligible For A Heart Transplant
A heart transplant is a new lease of life for those who are suffering from-
• Coronary artery disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Heart valve disease accompanied by congestive heart failure
• Serious congenital heart disease
• Life threatening abnormal heart beats that are not responding to treatment
Who Is Ineligible
However, you will not be eligible for a heart transplant if you have-
• Lung, kidney or liver disease
• Insulin dependent diabetes and if your other organs are also not functioning properly
• Blood vessel disease of the neck and leg
• Or any other life threatening disease such as cancer
What To Expect After A Heart Transplant
Recovery process after a heart transplant is quite similar to other heart surgeries. After the surgery, you will remain in the hospital for a week or two. During this time, your new heart will be constantly monitored via electrocardiograms, heart biopsies, echocardiograms and blood work. Once you are discharged from the hospital, you will have to regularly visit the outpatient transplant center for the next three months.
Heart Rejection
After a heart transplant, a patient is required to make several long term adjustments. There are high chances that your immune system will view the new heart as a foreign body and start rejecting it. In order to prevent this, doctors will prescribe immunosuppressants or steroids such as cyclosporine and corticosteroids. Your heart will be closely monitored for many months. Once the risk of heart rejection is reduced, you dosage of the medication will be reduced. However, you will have to take the immunosuppressants for the rest of your life.
This is where another problem arises. Immunosuppressants and steroids have serious side effects. Immunosuppressants can increase your chances of getting cancer. Since these drugs decrease your body’s immunity, your body becomes susceptible to bacterial, fungal and viral infections. Besides, these drugs can cause serious kidney damage.
For several months after the transplant, you will have to undergo several heart biopsies. The biopsies results will help determine whether your body is rejecting the heart or not. Beside that, you should also be on the lookout for symptoms that indicate rejection of the new heart by your body:
• Shortness of breath
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Gaining weight due to water retention
• Infrequent urination
Most heart transplant patients are able to return to their normal life after six months. However, heavy work should always be avoided. If after the surgery, you are having trouble in adjusting to the new lifestyle, diet and exercise, you can go for a cardiac rehabilitation program. This program will help you adjust and regain strength.
If you are feeling overwhelmed after the surgery, you can join a support group. Talk to your doctor about it.
Overall, most people who have had a heart transplant enjoy a high quality life. According to statistics, the survival rate of the recipient is nearly 90 percent after one year and 72 percent after five years.
Heart transplant is an expensive process, and so you should check with your health insurance company to make sure that you are covered. Furthermore, it is not easy to find a healthy heart for transplant. So you might have to wait for a while. Once you have the heart transplant, you must ensure that you do everything possible to make it a success. You can do this by taking your medication on time, avoiding drinking or smoking, eating a healthy diet and exercising.