Heart
Patient brochure
Find information for patients and families to understand and navigate organ donation and transplantation below:
Questions and answers for transplant candidates about:
The heart
Functions of the heart
The heart is a strong, muscular, cone-shaped organ. It is located behind the breastbone between the lungs. It pumps blood throughout the body.
Blood that no longer carries oxygen flows from the heart to the lungs, where it gives up wastes and gets new oxygen. From there, the blood returns to the heart and is pumped to the rest of the body.
Heart failure happens when the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Birth defects, or any condition that damages or overloads the heart muscle, can cause it. Treatment depends on the cause of heart failure and the age and condition of the patient.
Heart transplant procedures
Most heart transplants involve replacing the patient’s heart with the heart from a deceased donor. In rare cases, the patient’s native heart is not removed; this is known as a heterotopic transplant.
There also have been a few transplants involving a living heart donor. This may occur if one patient receives a heart-lung combination transplant but their heart is in good condition. This patient’s heart may then be transplanted into another recipient. This is known as a “domino” heart transplant.
Reasons for heart transplant
| Heart diagnosis categories | Heart diagnoses |
|---|---|
| Cardiomyopathy |
Dilated Myopathy: Idiopathic Dilated Myopathy: Myocarditis Dilated Myopathy: Other Specify Dilated Myopathy: Post Partum Dilated Myopathy: Familial Dilated Myopathy: Adriamycin Dilated Myopathy: Viral Dilated Myopathy: Alcoholic Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Restrictive Myopathy: Idiopathic Restrictive Myopathy: Amyloidosis Restrictive Myopathy: Sarcoidosis Restrictive Myopathy: Endocardial Fibrosis Restrictive Myopathy: Other Specify Restrictive Myopathy: Secondary to Radiation/Chemotherapy |
| Coronary Artery Disease |
Coronary Artery Disease Dilated Myopathy: Ischemic |
| Congenital Heart Disease |
Congenital Heart Disease |
| Valvular Heart Disease |
Valvular Heart Disease |
| Retransplant/Graft Failure |
Heart Retransplant/Graft Failure: Coronary Artery Disease Heart Retransplant/Graft Failure: Other Specify Heart Retransplant/Graft Failure: Non-Specific Heart Retransplant/Graft Failure: Acute Rejection Heart Retransplant/Graft Failure: Hyperacute Rejection Heart Retransplant/Graft Failure: Primary Failure Heart Retransplant/Graft Failure: Chronic Rejection Heart Retransplant/Graft Failure: Restrictive/Constrictive |
| Other |
Cardiac Disease: Other Specify Heart: Other Specify Cancer |
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