Heart Transplants

Chloe & Shannon

Body System & Location

The heart is part of the circulatory system

It is located in the center- left portion of your chest

Heart’s Function

• Pumps oxygen rich blood to every living cell in the body.

• Pumps 2,000 gallons of blood a day.

Statistics

• The U.S. performs more than 2,000 heart transplants each year.

• About 81% of all people who receive heart transplants survive for at least 1 year.

• About 75% survive 3 years, and 68% survive 5 years. About 50% survive 10 years.

• There are approximately 3,000 patients on the heart transplant waiting list.

• 10% of those waiting will die.

• Wait times vary from days to several months and will depend on a recipient's blood type and condition

Medical Conditions

• Severe, spreading chest pain that can no longer be treated with medications or other surgery.

• Severe heart failure that medicine or surgery can’t fix.

• Heart defects that were present at birth.

• Abnormal heart beats that are life threatening and will not respond to other treatments.

Donor Requirements

• Donor must be brain dead and no older than 65 years old

• Donor can not have a history of heart disease or blood disease (HIV/hepatitis) and must be an organ donor.

• Recommend that the donor’s heart not be without blood circulation for more than 4 hours.

Recipient’s Requirements

• Can’t be malnourished.• Must be under 55 years old• Have had no severe strokes,

dementia, HIV, hepatitis or cancer

• They can not have insulin-dependent diabetes or other organs that do not work properly

• Have kidney, lung, nerve, or liver diseases.

• They must not smoke or abuse alcohol and any other drugs.

Where to Go

• Hahnemann University Hospital

• Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

• University of Pennsylvania Medical Center And Health System

• Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

• Temple University Hospital• Children’s Hospital of

Pittsburgh of UPMC• Allegheny General Hospital• University of Pittsburgh

Medical Center-Presbyterian

The Procedure

• Usually 4-12 hours, or longer.

• Expect to stay in the hospital for 7-21 days after receiving a heart.

• The cost is $50,000 to $287,00

• The average cost is $148,000

• Donor doesn’t pay, they’re dead.

Anti-Rejection Meds

• Cyclosporin• Prednisone• Tacrolimus• Cell-Cept

Post Surgery• Biopsies are done every

month during the first 6 to 12 months after transplant

• must take drugs that prevent transplant rejection for the rest of your life.

• Go back to normal activites when they feel they are ok—Doctor permitting

• Avoid vigorous physical activity.

• To make sure that you do not develop coronary disease after a transplant, you will have cardiac catheterization every year.

Post Transplant Diet

• Avoid greasy, fatty foods• No smoking• Very restrictive with alcohol and

caffeine