A heart transplant is a major operation, and there is a risk of several complications.
Some complications can occur soon after the procedure, while others may develop months or even years later.
The main risks associated with a heart transplant are described below.
One of the most common complications of a heart transplant is rejection of the donor heart. Thisis where the immune system recognises the transplanted heart as foreign and attacks it.
Rejection usually occurs in the days, weeks or months after the transplant, although it can sometimes happen years later.
Immunosuppressant medication can reduce the risk of this happening, but can't always prevent it completely.
Symptoms of rejection can include:
Contact your GP or transplant team as soon as possible if you have these symptoms. Rejection can usually be treated by increasing your dose of immunosuppressant medication.
One of the most serious complications that can occur soon after a heart transplant is that the donated heart fails and doesn't work properly.
This is known as graft failure, or primary graft dysfunction. It occurs in 5-10% of people who've had a heart transplant, and can be fatal.
You'll be closely monitored after your transplant to check for signs of graft failure so treatment can be started as soon as possible.
Treatments for graft failure include:
Some people with graft failure may need to go on the waiting list for another heart transplant if they're otherwise well enough to have the procedure again.
The immunosuppressant medications you need to take to prevent rejection can have a number of significant side effects.
These can include:
Speak to your transplant team if you experience any troublesome side effects. Don't stop taking your medication without getting medical advice first.
Immunosuppressant medication will weaken your immune system and make you more vulnerable to infection.
While taking the medication, it's a good idea to:
To help prevent infection, you may be given antibiotics, antifungal medicine or antiviral medication to take for at least the first few weeks or months after your transplant.
Narrowing and hardening of the blood vessels connected to the donor heart is a common long-term complication of a heart transplant.
The medical term for this complication is cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). It tends to occur several years after the transplant operation.
CAV is potentially serious as it can restrict the supply of blood to the heart, which can sometimes trigger a heart attack or lead to a recurrence of heart failure.
It's therefore recommended you have regular coronary angiographies a type of X-ray used to study the inside of your heartto check your heart is receiving enough blood.
Medications can help keep CAV under control if it does develop, but the only cure is to have another heart transplant.
A heart transplant is an operation to replace a damaged or failing heart with a healthy heart from a donor who has recently died. It may be recommended when a person's life is at risk because their heart no longer works effectively.
As donor hearts are scarce, you'll need to be assessed carefully to determine whether a heart transplant is suitable, if your doctor thinks you could benefit from one. The final decision about whether you are suitable for a heart transplant is a joint decision made by the transplant team.
Because of the lack of available hearts, it's rarely possible to have a heart transplant as soon as it's needed, so you'll usually be placed on a waiting list. It may be several months, or possibly years, before a donor heart of the right size and blood groups becomes available.
A heart transplant is carried out with you unconscious under general anaesthetic , and normally takes between four and six hours. You'll be connected to a heart-lung bypass machine, which will take over the functions of the heart and lungs while the transplant is being carried out.
Read about what you can expect after a heart transplant and when you can return to your normal activities.
A heart transplant is a major operation, and there is a risk of several complications. Some complications can occur soon after the procedure, while others may develop months or even years later.
In 1998, Andy Cook was told he had just two days to live. But when a donor heart became available, a transplant saved his life. Bit by bit, Andy regained his strength, but his journey back to health had some setbacks.