When and how a heart transplant is done
Heart transplantation is a surgical treatment for patients who present with severe end-stage and irreversible heart failure, and their quality of life and survival cannot be improved with another therapeutic alternative.
The treatment consists of implanting, through surgery, a healthy heart from a deceased donor. The donor is a healthy person who has just died from a severe brain injury.
Heart transplants are done when other treatments for heart problems have not worked, and heart failure occurs. In adults, heart failure can be caused by the following conditions.
• Weakening of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy)
• Coronary artery disease
• Heart valve disease
• Any heart problem from birth (congenital heart defect)
• Recurrent abnormal heart rhythms (ventricular arrhythmias) not controlled with other treatments
Prior to the transplant, it is necessary to carry out a series of studies to determine the compatibility of the recipient's tissues with those of the probable donor. These studies are carried out by specialists in Heart Transplantation at Clínica Cardiovascular, once the decision has been made that the patient is a candidate for heart transplantation. The data is entered into a National waiting list coordinated by the Panamanian Transplant Organization (OPT), until the appearance of the donor.
How is a heart transplant performed?
Once you are on the waiting list, and a potential heart donor is announced. The heart transplant team is activated and the donor is thoroughly evaluated. If this is compatible with the recipient, the Transplant Alert phase of the Cardiac Transplant Program begins.
There are two surgical teams certified in Heart Transplantation that work simultaneously and in coordination to minimize risks and guarantee results.
The Donor Surgical Team and Cardiac Procurement; oversees preparing, extracting and transporting the deceased donor organ to the certified hospital center where the transplant will be performed.
The Heart Transplant or Implant Surgical Team: oversees extracting the diseased heart and preparing and implanting the new heart in the recipient.
After the Heart Transplant surgery, the patient will go to the intensive care unit, for his recovery from anesthesia and heart surgery, until he can be transferred to the Hospital Ward, where he will continue a strict follow-up by the medical team to avoid complications, using special medications and carrying out the appropriate studies to monitor the new organ.
Most people who receive a heart transplant enjoy a good quality of life. Depending on recovery, you may be able to resume many of your daily activities, such as work, hobbies, sports, and exercise.
Clínica Cardiovascular is part of a multidisciplinary team made up of highly trained professionals with extensive experience in Heart Transplantation, being the only nationally certified program to offer and perform this type of treatment for heart failure.