What Is A Heart Transplant?
A heart transplant is a surgery in which a donor’s healthy heart serves as a replacement for a recipient’s diseased heart.
This surgery is performed when the treatment the patient has received has not produced the expected results. His condition worsens, causing heart failure.
A heart transplant is a complicated operation. However, if the procedure is carried out properly, the survival rate is high. Generally, doctors must do the transplant within four hours of extraction.
Reasons why a person may need a heart transplant
Heart transplant: procedure
This procedure is an open heart surgery and the heart transplant process takes several hours. Also, if there have been previous cardiac surgeries, the operation will be more complicated and will take longer.
During the procedure, in addition to general anesthesia, an extracorporeal circulation device is essential. This causes the patient’s blood to circulate in the oxygen-rich body.
Through a chest incision, the doctor will open the rib cage to operate on the heart. After removing the diseased heart and inserting the donor’s heart, the surgeon connects the blood vessels. Then it restores blood flow.
In some cases, doctors need to perform a multi-organ transplant. In other words, it transplants another organ, such as a lung, liver or kidney, at the same time as a heart transplant.
postoperatively
- Fever and fatigue
- Insufficient urination
Ventricular assist devices
It is also worth mentioning that there are a number of additional options for heart transplantation. They are intended for people who, for various reasons, cannot operate.
For many patients, a very good solution is a ventricular assist device (VAD) as a long-term treatment. This is a mechanical pump that is implanted in the chest. It helps the heart to pump blood from the ventricles to the rest of the body. Also, some patients temporarily use these devices while waiting for a heart transplant.
If the ventricular assist device is not enough, but the patient is waiting for surgery, professionals may consider using a completely artificial heart. This device works by replacing the ventricles of the heart and can be very useful.
