A heart transplant is a surgical procedure in which a heart surgeon replaces a patient's diseased heart with a healthy heart from a donor. Heart transplantation is a widely accepted therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure, particularly with the help of immunosuppressive drugs and ever-improving surgical techniques.
Generally, patients considered for a heart transplant have already tried other treatments and may have been hospitalized more than once for heart failure. Heart failure is considered "end-stage" when other treatments (such as medicine, implanted devices, or surgery) have failed to relieve symptoms.
Why Inova for Heart Transplant?
Since conducting the Washington, DC, metropolitan area's first heart transplant in 1986, Inova has remained at the forefront of heart transplantation. We now perform over 40 heart transplants each year and, according to the Scientific Registry for Transplant Recipients (SRTR), have better than expected survival rates for patients awaiting transplant, for the year following transplant, and at three years.
Mechanical Circulatory Support as a Bridge-to-Transplant
Our specialists may recommend a ventricular assist device (VAD) as a bridge-to-transplant for advanced heart failure patients awaiting a donor heart. The device helps the heart work, allowing it to rest and strengthen before the stress of transplant surgery, and provides a better quality of life to heart failure patients.