Heart Transplant
You may be a candidate for a heart transplant if other treatments for heart failure haven’t worked as hoped. If that happens, the transplant team at AdventHealth Transplant Institute will walk with you through an evaluation to determine if you are eligible for a heart transplant.
What is a Heart Transplant
Put simply, a heart transplant is replacing your heart with a healthy one donated from another person after all other options have been explored. Transplantation can bring renewed hope for an active and independent life.
How a Heart Transplant Works
A heart transplant involves removing your heart from your chest and replacing it with a healthy heart from a deceased donor. During the surgery, the pumping of your blood is rerouted temporarily through a bypass machine while doctors work to connect the donated heart to the rest of your body.
How to Qualify for a Heart Transplant
If you’re a good candidate for a heart transplant, a transplant team will make the final decision and communicate the news to your transplant coordinator and your doctor.
Final authorization will be requested through your insurance. Once the authorization is received, you’ll be placed on a national organ donor waiting list managed by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a non-profit organization operated under the federal government whose mission is to distribute organs in an equitable, fair manner.
Once a suitable donor is found, you will be contacted with instructions on how to prepare for the transplant.
Unfortunately, not everyone is a good candidate for a heart transplant, but there are still other options. Your transplant team will discuss alternative treatments with you to help you find the best course of action for your condition.
Visit AdventHealth Transplant Institute to Learn More