HEART TRANSPLANTATION

Course overview

A HEART TRANSPLANT IS PERFORMED IN PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY ACUTE AND CHRONIC HEART FAILURE. AN ORTHOTOPIC HEART TRANSPLANT IS THE MOST COMMONLY UTILIZED TECHNIQUE THOUGH A HETEROTROPIC TRANSPLANT HAS ALSO BEEN DESCRIBED AND PERFORMED. MAIN INDICATIONS FOR TRANSPLANT IN CHRONIC HEART FAILURE INCLUDE PATIENTS WHO HAVE DISABLING SYMPTOMS DESPITE OPTIMAL MEDICAL MANAGEMENT OR REFRACTORY ARRHYTHMIAS DESPITE MEDICAL AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL PROCEDURES. FOR ACUTE HEART FAILURE REFRACTORY TO INOTROPES AND MECHANICAL CIRCULATORY DEVICES, A HEART TRANSPLANT IS INDICATED. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, TECHNIQUES, AND COMMON COMPLICATIONS OF THE HEART TRANSPLANT PROCEDURE AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN PERFORMING THIS PROCEDURE AND POST-TRANSPLANT SURVEILLANCE.