Heart transplant is the replacement of a sick or damaged heart with a healthy donor heart. The donor is a person who has died and whose family has agreed to donate the organs of their loved ones.

Heart transplantation has evolved from an experimental procedure to a proven treatment for advanced heart disease in the more than four decades since the first human heart transplant was performed in 1967. More than 2,000 heart transplants are performed in the United States each year.. And if more donor hearts were available, thousands more people would benefit from heart transplants each year.

See more: List of Best Heart Doctors

Why is a heart transplant performed?

A heart transplant is considered when the heart failure is so severe that it does not respond to other treatment, but apart from this, the person's health is favorable in other aspects. The main reasons for a heart transplant in people are having the following:

• Dilated cardiomyopathy (heart enlargement)
• Severe coronary artery disease with heart scar tissue caused by heart attack
• Congenital defect

It is important to note that there are many new innovations, from new drugs to pacemakers and new surgical treatments, to treat heart failure.. What is important in determining treatment options is to be evaluated by a heart failure doctor.

Read more: Heart problem symptoms

Who is considered a candidate for a heart transplant?

People with advanced (end-stage) heart failure who are otherwise healthy may be considered for a heart transplant.

To determine if a heart transplant is right for you, the following basic questions should be considered by you, your doctor, and your family:

• Have other treatment methods been tried or rejected?
• If there is no link, are you likely to die?
• Are you in good general health other than heart or cardiopulmonary disease?
• Can you adhere to the lifestyle changes, including complex drug treatments and frequent checkups, that are required after the transplant?

If you answered "no" to any of the above questions, a heart transplant is not a good option for you. Also, if you have other medical problems, such as other serious illnesses, active infections, or severe obesity, you are not likely to be considered a candidate for a transplant.

What are the stages of receiving a heart transplant?

To receive a heart transplant, you must first be on the transplant list....but before you are on the transplant list, you must undergo a rigorous screening process....a team of cardiologists, nurses, social workers, and bioethicists will review your medical history, diagnostic test results, social history, and psychological testing results to determine whether you can survive the process.>

Once approved, you must wait for a donor....this process can be long and stressful....a support network of family and friends is needed to help you through this time....a health care team will closely monitor you to manage heart failure... If a heart is available, the hospital should know where to contact you.

Learn more: Organ donation

How are organ donors for heart transplants found?

Heart transplant donors are people who may have recently died or are brain dead, meaning that although their bodies are being kept alive by machines, their brains show no signs of life. Most often, these donors have died from a car accident, severe head trauma, or gunshot wounds.

Donors give permission to donate their organs before death.. The donor's family must also consent when donating the deceased donor's organ.

Donor organs are placed on the United Network of Organ Distribution (UNOS) computerized waiting list. This waiting list provides access and equitable distribution of organs once they become available. When hearts are available, they are made available based on blood type, body size, UNOS status (based on recipient's medical status) and waiting time for human ImmuneHepatit and waiting time for recipient.

Unfortunately, there are not enough hearts available for transplants....At any given moment, approximately 3,500 to 4,000 people are waiting for a heart or lung transplant....a person may wait months for a transplant, and more than 25% of people do not survive long enough to receive a transplant.

Many people waiting for a transplant have mixed feelings, knowing that someone must die before an organ becomes available....It may be comforting to know that many donor families are relieved to know that some people understand their loved one's death.

What happens in a heart transplant?

When a donor heart becomes available, a surgeon from the transplant center surgically removes the heart from the donor... The heart is cooled and stored in a special solution during transfer to the recipient... Before the transplant surgery begins, the surgeon makes sure that the donor heart is good... The transplant is performed as soon as possible after the donor heart becomes available.

During the procedure, the patient is placed on a heart and lung machine... This machine allows the body to receive oxygen and vital nutrients from the blood even during heart surgery.

The surgeons then remove the patient's heart except for the posterior walls of the atria (upper chambers of the heart). The back of the atrium of the donor heart is opened and the heart is sutured in place.

Surgeons then connect the blood vessels and allow blood to flow through the heart and lungs.... As the heart warms up, the heart begins to beat.... Before disconnecting the patient from the cardiopulmonary system, surgeons ligate all blood vessels and check the heart chambers for leaks.

This transplant is a complex operation that takes from 4 to 10 hours.

Most patients are up and moving within a few days of surgery and can go home within 7 to 16 days if there are no signs of rapid rejection.

What are the risks associated with a heart transplant?

The most common causes of death after a transplant are infection and transplant rejection. Patients who take drugs to prevent transplant rejection are at risk for kidney damage, high blood pressure, osteoporosis (severe thinning of the bones that can lead to fractures), and lymphoma (a type of cancer that affects immune system cells).

About half of transplant patients develop coronary artery disease, and many have no symptoms like angina because they have no feeling in their donor heart.

What is member ID?

Normally, the immune system protects against infection... This happens when immune system cells circulate in the body and destroy anything that looks foreign or different from the body's own cells.

Transplant rejection occurs when the body's immune cells recognize the transplanted heart as different from other parts of the body and try to destroy it... If left alone, the body's immune system will damage the cells of the donor heart and eventually destroy it.

To prevent transplant rejection, patients receive several drugs called immunosuppressants. These drugs suppress the immune system so that the donor heart is not damaged. Since transplant rejection can happen at any time after the transplant, immunosuppressive drugs are given to patients one day before the transplant and then for the rest of their lives.

To prevent transplant rejection, heart transplant recipients must adhere strictly to their immunosuppressive drug regimen. Researchers are continuously working on safer, more effective, and more tolerable immunosuppressive drugs.. However, excessive immunosuppression can lead to serious infections.. is prescribed.

See more:Cardiovascular surgeon

Myocardial biopsy: Heart transplant recipients are carefully monitored for signs of transplant rejection. Doctors regularly take small samples of the transplanted heart to examine under a microscope. This procedure, called a biopsy, involves passing a thin tube called a catheter through a vein into the heart..tissue)...If the sample has damaged cells, the dose and type of immunosuppressant drug may be changed...Sampling of the heart muscle is usually done weekly for the first three to six weeks after surgery, then every three months for the first year, and then annually.

It is important to be aware of the possible symptoms of rejection and infection so that you can report them to your doctor and receive treatment immediately.

Symptoms of link rejection are:

• Fever over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius)
• Flu-like symptoms such as chills, pain, headache, dizziness, nausea or vomiting
• shortness of breath
• New breast pain or tenderness
• fatigue or feeling "weak" in general
• Increased blood pressure

Infection Care

With excessive suppression of the immune system, the body's immune system decreases and the patient can easily get severe infections.. For this reason, drugs are also prescribed to fight infections... It's important to be aware of possible rejection and infection symptoms so you can report them to your healthcare provider and get treatment right away.

Warning signs of infection include:

• Fever over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius)
• Sweat or chills
• Skin rash
• pain, sensitivity to touch, redness or swelling
• A wound or cut that does not heal
• Red, hot or oozing sores
• Sore throat, itchy throat or pain when swallowing
• Sinus drainage, nasal congestion, headache or sensitivity to touch in the upper cheekbones
• Persistent wet or dry cough that lasts more than two days
• The appearance of white spots in the mouth or on the tongue
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Flu-like symptoms (chills, aches, headache, or fatigue) or generally feeling "weak"
Difficulty urinating: pain or burning, frequent urination Bloody, cloudy, or foul-smelling urine

If you notice any signs of transplant rejection or infection, tell your doctor right away.

Is it possible to have a normal life after a heart transplant?

With the exception of the need to take lifelong medications to prevent the body from rejecting a donated heart transplant, many heart transplant recipients live long and useful lives.

However, there are some things to keep in mind:

• Drugs... As mentioned, patients after a heart transplant must take several medications... the most important of which are medications that prevent the body from rejecting the transplant.... These medications, which must be taken for life, may have significant side effects, including increased blood pressure, fluid retention, excessive hair growth, bone thinning, and kidney damage.... To deal with these problems, other medications are often prescribed.
• Exercise.... Heart transplant recipients are advised to exercise to improve heart function and prevent weight gain... However, given the changes that occur as a result of a heart transplant, patients should talk to their doctor or cardiac rehabilitation specialist before starting an exercise program.... Because the nerves leading to the heart are severed during the operation, the transplanted heart beats faster (about 100 to 110 beats per minute) than a normal heart (about 70 beats per minute) as it does not respond to exercise faster.. Before.
• Diet....The patient may need a special diet after transplant, which may include many dietary changes from before surgery....A diet high in healthy fats and low in sodium reduces the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and fluid retention....Your doctor will discuss your specific dietary needs, and a dietitian can help you achieve specific dietary guidelines.

How long can a person live after a heart transplant?

How long a person survives after a heart transplant depends on many factors, including age, general health, and response to the transplant....Recent statistics show that 80% of heart transplant patients live at least two years after surgery....The 10-year survival rate is about 56%....About 85% of people are able to do work or activities they once enjoyed, running or other sports....Many patients can enjoy running. to take Take it.

Is a heart transplant covered by insurance?

In most cases, heart transplant costs are covered by health insurance. More than 80% of commercial insurance and 97% of Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans cover heart transplants. Medicaid programs in most states and the District of Columbia also pay for transplants. Medicare covers heart transplants in Medicare-eligible patients if the procedure is performed at an approved facility.

What is important is to do your research and find out if your particular health insurance covers this treatment, and if you are responsible for any costs.

You can use GCORP LLC to consult a cardiologist.