Heart transplantation is a last-resort option for people with heart failure.
To be considered for transplantation surgery, a person's heart must be unresponsive to other forms of treatment and all other vital organs must be in excellent health. The surgery must be performed immediately after a suitable donor heart becomes available. The recipient is placed on a heart-lung machine which takes over the functions of the heart and lungs so the diseased heart can be removed and replaced with the new heart. Once the blood vessels are reconnected, the heart is ready to function. One of the main complications following heart transplantation is rejection.