Heart failure is caused by damage to the heart that has developed over
time. It can’t be cured, so managing heart failure is a team effort.
Before a transplant is considered, non-surgical treatment may include
lifestyle changes, cardiac rehab, and new therapies, devices, and procedures.
Minimally invasive procedures for severe heart failure include:
A heart transplant is only for people with severe heart failure when no
other treatments work. To be eligible, you must:
Have severe heart failure, with a heart pumping strength (ejection fraction)
of less than 20% (normal is 50-65%).
Have tried all other treatments (like medications, surgery, or pacemakers)
without success.
Have no other options left for treatment.
Heart transplant surgery
When all other treatments are unsuccessful, a heart transplant may be an
option to enhance the quality and length of life for people with advanced
heart failure. These considerations include:
When advanced heart disease cannot pump enough blood to support your body's needs.
When arrhythmias cause a severe irregular heartbeat.
When cardiomyopathy causes the heart muscle to become diseased, enlarged,
or rigid, causing the heart to not pump blood effectively.
When congenital heart disease, a heart defect, is present at birth.
When coronary artery disease narrows the blood vessels that supply blood
and nutrients to the heart.
When heart valve disease causes one or more of your four heart valves to
not work properly.
Heart transplantation involves surgically replacing the diseased heart
with a new one to restore normal function and requires lifelong medications
and management to prevent rejection.
