David Kaczorowski, MD, is surgical director of the UPMC Advanced Heart Failure Center. He says the first line of treatment for heart failure is medical therapy. “But as patients get worse, medical therapy can become less effective,” he says. “When it gets to that point, we have to consider other therapies for heart failure and transplant is one of them.” Severe heart issues that can lead to the need for transplant surgery include:
Advanced heart failure: The heart cannot pump enough blood to support the body’s needs.
Arrhythmia: An irregular heartbeat.
Cardiomyopathy: The heart muscle is diseased, enlarged, or rigid and does not pump blood effectively.
Congenital heart disease: A heart defect present at birth.
Coronary artery disease: Blood vessels that supply blood and nutrients to the heart are narrowed.
Heart valve disease: One or more of the 4 heart valves is not working correctly.
Individuals eligible for heart transplants are generally age 70 or younger and are at risk of dying within the next year if the procedure isn’t performed. Dr. Kaczorowski advises patients with heart failure to discuss the possibility of heart transplantation with their cardiologist.