Heart transplantation is the
gold standard treatment that is used to treat a variety of heart conditions,
including, advanced heart failure, arrhythmia, cardiomyopathy, congenital heart
disease (CHD), coronary artery disease (CAD), heart attack, diabetes, drug
abuse, high blood pressure, and valvular heart disease. Sadly, not enough
healthy hearts are donated to ensure that everyone who needs a new heart
receives one. Doctors are working towards this cause so that those at highest risk are transplanted first.
The Need For A Heart Transplant:
A heart transplant procedure
offers hope for patients with end-stage heart failure, and an estimated 5.7 million
people in the United States suffer from heart failure (HF), meaning their
hearts cannot pump as effectively as they should, which could be due to damage
from heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, a heart disease called
cardiomyopathy, or a deformed valve. Some of the symptoms experienced include
shortness of breath, fatigue, trouble breathing when lying down, and excess
fluid accumulation in the legs and ankles. HF patients are prescribed
medications to help their hearts contract more strongly, increase blood flow,
and get rid of excess fluid. Although medications can slow the progression of
heart failure, keep them out of the hospital, and prevent them from dying, but
they may stop working after a certain point, and heart transplant may be the
only option.
Besides heart failure, a heart
transplant can provide a long-term solution for a number of severe or chronic
heart conditions, including abnormal heart rhythm, coronary artery disease and
congenital heart disease.
Types Of Donors:
You’ll undergo evaluations to
determine whether you are a good candidate for heart transplant, and once
you’ve been approved tests will be done to look at your genetic makeup, so that
you and the donor are a good genetic match which minimizes the chances of
rejection. Doctors also make assessments to determine if you are mentally
strong enough to tolerate the transplant process, as well as take good care of
yourself and manage an extensive drug regimen post-surgery. Many transplant
centers choose or reject individuals on the basis of how well they will be able
to care for themselves independently after surgery.
Individuals with any blood
type can donate their heart, and the hearts become available for
transplantation only when a person has died or is declared to be brain dead and
they or their family members choose to donate their organs.
Your transplant center will
place you on the transplant list once it determines that you are a good
candidate for a transplant, and multiple types of criteria are used, including
age (young people are given younger organs for lasting results), severity of
illness (those who are sickest are at the top of potential recipient lists), location (proximity is a
vital factor since a donor heart must be transplanted into the recipient within
4-5 hours after it is removed, preserved and packed for transport), blood type
(compatible blood types is important to minimize chances of organ rejection), and
body size (the donor and recipient must be approximately the same body size for
them to match)- to create a list of every potential recipient of every organ
donation.
If you or a loved one is
undergoing a heart transplant surgery, you probably have many questions,
discuss them with your transplant team and clarify everything.
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sign up for a CPR course at CPR Kansas City, call us on 913-998-7499.
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