Everything You Need To Know About Heart Transplant Treatment
A heart transplant is surgery in which the diseased heart is removed from a person and replaced with a healthy one from an organ donor. This is only done when a person cannot survive without a transplant and they meet all the criteria. Heart transplantation has a high success rate thanks to advances in the field of medicine. People live for years after receiving their new heart. Here, we will learn everything about heart transplant, such as what is heart transplant, how to prepare for heart transplant, what is the cost of heart transplant in India, which are the best hospitals for heart transplant in India, who are the best doctors for heart transplant in India, and what are the complications of heart transplant surgery?
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Table Of Index
What is heart transplant?
Heart transplantation is a surgical procedure that replaces the heart with a donated heart from another individual. The failing heart might be a result of coronary heart disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeat or some other severe heart conditions. During the procedure, the doctor removes the patient's heart and then connect the donor’s heart by attaching the recipient as well as donor vena cavae, pulmonary artery, left atrium and aorta. In some cases with a congenital heart condition, a surgeon could also transplant the lung with the heart.
Types of heart transplant
Orthotopic heart transplant: In this type of heart transplant, the heart from a deceased donor is transplanted into the recipient's body immediately after removal of the diseased heart from a recipient.
Heterotopic heart transplant: - This is a rare type of transplant in which the recipient's heart isn’t removed while the deceased donor heart is inserted into the recipient's chest on the right of the native heart. The pulmonary trunk, aorta, and SVC of the donor heart are anastomosed to the respective vessels of the recipient's native vessels. It is generally performed for people with pulmonary hypertension or those with a recipient-to-donor size mismatch.
Causes and Symptoms
Causes
- End-stage heart failure
- Congenital heart disease
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Age
- Heart valve disease
- High blood pressure
Symptoms
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling in the legs and feet
- Fatigue and weakness
- Reduced ability to exercise
- Fast or irregular heartbeat
- Weight gain, chest pain
- Loss of appetite
Diagnosis
Blood and Urine Testing: Different blood tests will be performed. One is performed to find the presence of HIV antibody. You need to collect your urine for 24 hours before coming for evaluation testing.
ECG and Chest X-Ray: An electrocardiogram will record the electrical activity of your heart and its effect on the efficiency and function of your heart. Electrodes convey impulses to a device which produces a graphic representation of the heart's activity. A chest X-ray is performed to show the relative size and position of the heart and lungs.
Cardiopulmonary Stress Test: The patient needs to walk on a treadmill until the target heart rate is achieved, or until the heart disease forces them to stop. This helps evaluate the extent of damage to the heart and assess its functional capacity. This test tells how much oxygen is being delivered to the body's various organs by the circulatory system.
MUGA Scan: Also called Radionuclide Angiography, this test will determine how effectively your heart functions at rest or during exercise. The test involves adding a radioisotope to the bloodstream and then scanning its flow with the help of a gamma camera.
Heart Catheterization: This determines if there are any blockage in arteries. Contrast dye is injected using a thin catheter in the neck or groin. Pressure in the heart's chambers is also measured to find the resistance to blood flow.
Risk & Complications
Infection: Heart transplant patients who have lung disease may notice more frequent chest infections in the winter months. As the immune system is suppressed, there is an increased risk of infection. Bacterial infections are common after this transplant.
High blood pressure: Around 70-80 of 100 patients having a heart transplant will need medications to reduce blood pressure. This is opposite to the low blood pressure that the patient may have experienced in case of heart failure. Better control of blood pressure is crucial for the new heart, for avoiding complications such as strokes and for maintaining kidney function.
Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV): This is a condition that affects transplanted hearts. CAV causes the blood vessels taking blood to the heart muscle to become narrowed and blocked. This condition affects nearly half of transplanted hearts within the first ten years.
Kidney dysfunction: Kidney dysfunction is a common risk after a heart transplant. Many patients will have impaired kidney function while waiting for a transplant and this often becomes worse by the transplant operation. Moreover, kidney function generally improves in the first or second week after surgery.
Preparation of Treatment
Depending on how long a person need to wait for a donor's heart, they can prepare for their heart transplant in advance. Write down all questions you may have and ask the doctor about them. You need to get several tests done to ensure you are eligible for a heart transplant. An evaluation will be carried out to check you are emotionally as well as physically ready to receive a donor's heart. Eat and drink healthy. If you are overweight, you will be asked to lose weight. Having a healthier weight will help to reduce your chances of having problems with transplant surgery as well as recovery. You must lose weight by doing exercise and taking extra care with diet. To ensure the success of the transplant, you should give up smoking. Several transplant teams won’t put patients on transplant waiting list in case they are smokers. Most patients with heart disease will have to avoid alcohol. It is vital to take all your medications as prescribed.
Best Doctors for Heart Transplant Treatment
Dr. Vijay Kohli
43+ Yrs. Exp.MBBS, MS - General Surgery, MCh - Cardiovascular and Thoracic SurgeryCardiothoracic SurgeonCost of the treatment
Cost of heart transplant
The heart transplant cost in India ranges from $45,000 to $55,000. However, the cost may be up to $65,000 if a person undergoes minimally invasive surgery. Heart transplant in India offers excellent quality and care at an affordable cost compared to many other countries. The cost of heart transplant in India might vary from person to person depending on numerous factors like severity of the patient’s condition, clinical infrastructure of the hospital, availability of the donor, type of transplant needed, duration of hospital stay, expertise and fees of the surgeon and diagnostic tests.
Recovery
Recovery after heart transplant
After a heart transplant surgery, the patient will be required to stay in the intensive care unit. They will then be moved to a regular hospital room. The hospital stay will last for a week or two. The patients will have many follow-up appointments at the transplant center, which includes regular tests like heart biopsies, echocardiograms, electrocardiograms and blood tests. After the initial recovery period that typically lasts around 4-6 weeks, many patients with heart transplant can slowly resume their normal activities. However, it's essential to do so under the guidance of the medical team to ensure a safe and gradual return to physical activity. While life following a heart transplant can be better, it is vital to focus on ongoing medical care and vigilance. Follow-up appointments with the transplant team are important for monitoring your overall health and finding any issues early on. You need to follow a healthy diet and take all medications as advised by your doctor for speedy recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions About heart-transplant
Although a successful heart transplant was considered a major medical milestone, people with a new heart didn't live that long in the early days. Now, many people can live for decades with a transplanted heart.
You will be able to do many of your daily activities after around 3 months. But for three to four months, you won’t be able to lift any heavy objects or do activities that put strain on the chest or upper arm muscles. At first you will notice that you get easily tired and need to rest often.
Though there is no accepted upper age limit for heart transplant, generally transplant surgery is not performed on people older than 70 years.
Around 85% to 90% of heart transplant patients are living 1 year after their surgery, with a death rate of around 4 percent thereafter. The 3-year survival is 75 percent.
There isn’t any fixed waiting time for the availability of a heart for transplant in India. If you are a suitable candidate for a heart transplant, then you will be put on a waitlist. You can find a suitable heart in a few weeks or it might take several months to find a suitable organ.
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