Eternal Hospital is a renowned multidisciplinary facility that provides advanced cardiac care supported by modern medical technology, experienced cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. With comprehensive diagnostic and treatment facilities, the hospital can support patients with advanced heart disease through evaluation, treatment, transplantation, recovery, and long-term follow-up.
What is Heart Transplantation?
Heart transplantation is a major surgical procedure in which a diseased or failing heart is replaced with a healthy heart donated by another person. It is generally considered for carefully selected patients with advanced or end-stage heart failure when medicines, surgical procedures, mechanical circulatory support, or other treatments are no longer able to provide adequate heart function.
Heart transplantation can be considered for patients with severe heart failure caused by conditions such as cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, congenital heart disease, or certain life-threatening heart rhythm disorders.
The most commonly performed technique is orthotopic heart transplantation, in which the patient's failing heart is removed and the donor heart is placed in its position. The major blood vessels are then surgically connected to the donor heart so that it can receive and pump blood throughout the body.
Who may be considered for a heart transplant?
Heart transplantation is considered for patients with advanced heart failure who continue to experience significant symptoms despite appropriate medical treatment. Patients may have severe limitations in daily activities, repeated hospitalisations because of worsening heart failure, progressive deterioration of heart function, recurrent dangerous ventricular arrhythmias, or dependence on intravenous medicines or mechanical circulatory support.
Patients with acute, severe heart failure may also require urgent evaluation when they have cardiogenic shock, refractory pulmonary oedema, or life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias that do not respond adequately to available treatments.
Before transplantation, patients undergo a detailed evaluation to determine whether a transplant is appropriate and whether they can safely undergo surgery and lifelong post-transplant care.
What does the heart transplant evaluation involve?
A comprehensive transplant assessment helps the medical team understand the patients heart condition and overall health. Evaluation may include blood and urine tests, electrocardiography, echocardiography, chest imaging, cardiac catheterisation, assessment of pulmonary pressures, and evaluation of kidney, liver, and lung function.
The team may also assess nutritional status, infection risk, previous cancers, diabetes, other medical conditions, medication adherence, psychosocial circumstances, and the availability of appropriate family or caregiver support.
Patients must also be able to follow the long-term treatment plan, including regular medical appointments and immunosuppressive medicines after transplantation.
How is heart transplantation performed?
Heart transplantation is performed as open-heart surgery under general anaesthesia. The patient is connected to a heart-lung bypass machine, which temporarily maintains blood circulation and oxygenation during the operation.
The surgeon opens the chest through a sternotomy and carefully separates the diseased heart from its major blood vessels. The failing heart is removed while appropriate portions of the surrounding structures are preserved for attachment of the donor heart.
The donor heart is then positioned in the recipient's chest. The surgeon connects the donor heart to the major blood vessels and cardiac structures. Once the connections are complete, blood flow is restored to the new heart. The heart may begin beating on its own or may require temporary electrical stimulation.
After the operation, the patient is closely monitored in the intensive care unit. The medical team evaluates heart function, blood pressure, circulation, breathing, kidney function, and other vital parameters.
What happens after a heart transplant?
After transplantation, patients require lifelong medical follow-up. Immunosuppressive medicines are prescribed to reduce the risk of the immune system attacking the donor heart. These medicines are essential for preventing or managing rejection but can also increase susceptibility to infections and cause other side effects.
Regular follow-up appointments and cardiac investigations are important for monitoring the function of the transplanted heart. In selected patients, endomyocardial biopsy may be performed to detect rejection, particularly during the early period after transplantation.
Patients may also receive infection-prevention medicines and require appropriate vaccinations. A structured rehabilitation programme, healthy nutrition, regular physical activity, and careful management of conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol can support long-term health.
What are the possible complications of heart transplantation?
Heart transplantation is a complex procedure and may involve potential complications.
Possible complications include:
- Rejection of the donor heart
- Primary graft dysfunction or graft failure
- Infections related to immunosuppression
- Cardiac allograft vasculopathy
- Bleeding and blood clots
- Kidney dysfunction
- High blood pressure and metabolic complications
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Increased risk of certain cancers
- Medication-related side effects
Cardiac allograft vasculopathy is a long-term complication in which the blood vessels supplying the transplanted heart become narrowed or thickened. Regular surveillance helps the medical team identify complications early and manage them appropriately.
Why choose Eternal Hospital?
Heart transplantation requires coordinated care before, during, and after surgery. Eternal Hospital focuses on multidisciplinary cardiac care involving experienced specialists and support professionals throughout the patient's transplant journey.
The heart transplant care team may include:
- Cardiologists and advanced heart failure specialists
- Cardiac and cardiothoracic surgeons
- Cardiac anaesthesiologists
- Critical care specialists
- Transplant and cardiac nurses
- Perfusionists
- Pharmacists
- Rehabilitation professionals
- Diet and nutrition specialists
- Psychosocial and support-care professionals
With comprehensive cardiac evaluation, advanced surgical and critical-care facilities, multidisciplinary expertise, and structured long-term follow-up, Eternal Hospital, Jaipur, aims to provide coordinated care for appropriately selected patients undergoing heart transplantation from transplant evaluation and preparation to surgery, recovery, rehabilitation, and lifelong post-transplant management.