Heart transplant is one of the most common transplant operations performed nowadays. A healthy heart is obtained from a donor who is brain dead but on life support. The healthy heart is put into a special solution that preserves the organ.
The patient is put into a deep sleep with general anesthesia, and a cut is made through the breast bone. The patient's blood is circulated through a heart-lung bypass machine to keep the blood oxygen-rich. The patient's diseased heart is removed and the donor heart is stitched in place. The heart-lung machine is disconnected. Blood flows through the transplanted heart.
Why the Procedure is done
A heart transplant may be recommended for heart failure caused by:
Coronary artery disease Cardio myopathy (disease of the heart muscle) Heart valve disease with congestive heart failure Severe heart disease present at birth Life-threatening abnormal heart beats that do not respond to other therapy.