Heart Transplant

For end-stage heart failure patients, replacement of the diseased heart with a healthy one is established as an effective treatment. Still, not everyone diagnosed with end-stage heart failure is eligible for a transplant. For example, cardiac transplant presents a difficult situation to children and young people who receive transplants. But perhaps the biggest drawback to heart transplant surgery is the sheer scarcity of donor hearts — a situation that makes the implementation of eligibility criteria strictly necessary. Heart failure patients must be assessed to determine if they are among those in greatest need and likely to derive the maximum benefit from transplantation.