Heart transplants
Having a heart transplant is one of the last forms of treatment available to those with heart failure. Generally it is only considered when all other forms of appropriate treatment including angioplasty and medication have been tried and failed. In 2008-2009 284 people were on the list for a heart transplant, but only 124 transplants took place (NHS Transplant Activity 2008-2009).
We talked to two people who had been assessed for heart transplant at specialist hospitals and had undergone tests. They described how they and their families were kept separate from others on the transplant list. One of them had been told he was not fit enough to go through with the operation. He said he had been completely dumbfounded by the news.
Another man, still waiting for a transplant, said that his height (he is 6' 2”) as well as the anti-bodies in his blood group were making it more difficult for the hospital to find him a suitable donor heart. He talked about the difficulties of managing his own pain relief without taking too much morphine. Sometimes he said he felt hopeful about getting a donor heart but when he is going through a good patch he has mixed feelings about putting himself through a transplant.
Several other people said that the possibility that they might one day have a heart transplant gave them hope for the future, though one man thought they may put you at greater risk of dying. Most people who had talked to their doctors about having a transplant had been told either that they were too old or that their hearts wouldn't withstand the operation.
Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs)
Are most commonly used to support a failing heart until a donor heart becomes available for transplantation. This is known as a ‘bridge to transplantation’, where the device is only used for a short time and is removed when a donor heart is transplanted. It is a mechanical pump designed to help the left ventricle do its job. It is inserted surgically – either into the left ventricle itself, or into the aorta to help boost the pumping action of the heart (for more information see British Heart Foundation).
- How old is 'too old' for a heart transplant?
- What other things apart from the state of your heart are taken into account when a transplant decision is made?
Last reviewed March 2010.
Last updated March 2010.
