A heart transplant is a technique
that offers a patient who has congenital heart disease a chance to get a
healthy heart with normal blood circulation. Let us know more about it to
understand it well.
What is a
heart transplant?
A heart transplant is a surgical
procedure in which the patient's heart is replaced with a donor's heart. The
whole process is done by the cardiologist who removes the patient's heart and
replaces it with the donor's heart, and in patients with congenital heart
disease, the surgeon may also transplant the lungs along with the heart. There
are many reasons that you need a heart transplant.
Why is
heart transplant needed?
A person may require a heart
transplant for many reasons, and one of the major and common cause is when a
patient's one or else both ventricles are not functioning properly. Children
who had a Fontan procedure may also require a heart transplant because the
blood flow is slow through the venous system, and veins are congested. you may
need a heart transplant surgery if your heart is failing, and other treatments
are also not effective. When there is a final stage of heart failure, it is
termed as end-stage heart failure. however i does not mean that patient's heart
will stop beating but it means that the heart muscle is failing to pump blood
naturally as it is weak or damaged.
Causes of
heart failure
Below are some of the main causes
of heart failure :
●
Heart attack
●
High blood pressure
●
Viral infection
●
Congenital heart defect
●
Heart valve disease
●
Chronic lung diseases
●
Low red blood cells count
●
Enlargement of heart muscle
Risks
involved in heart transplant surgery
Same as other surgeries heart
transplant surgery also have risks associated with it. Some are :
●
Infection
●
Bleeding during or after surgery
●
Breathing problems
After heart surgery patient's
immune system may reject the new heart and which is considered as the body's
normal reaction to a foreign object. The time you get a new heart, your immune
system will try to attack the new organ. To help new organs to survive in the
body, your surgeon will give you some medications. With the help of these
medicines, you will help your immune system to accept the newly transplanted
organ in the body.
How to
get ready for a heart transplant?
Everybody did not for a heart
transplant as there are many things to confirm that the person is eligible for
a heart transplant surgery or not. For this there is an evaluation team to
review it. The evaluation team comprises of :
●
a transplant surgeon
●
a transplant cardiologist i.e. a doctor
specializes for heart treatment
●
nurse practitioners or physician assistants
●
transplant nurses
●
a psychiatrist or psychologist
●
a dietitian
●
an anesthesiologist
Transplant
evaluation process
There are many steps performed
for the transplant evaluation process
Discussion on psychological and
social issues counting financial support, family support, and stress as these
greatly affect after transplant results.
●
Some blood tests are also
performed to get a good donor and to reduce the chances for your body to reject
new organs.
●
Some diagnostic tests are also
performed to assess your lungs as well as your overall health. It includes
ultrasound procedures, CT scan, X-rays, dental exams along with PFTs.
●
Before heart transplant surgery,
all the above-listed tests are done, and all information is taken into
consideration, including health history. Once you are accepted as a candidate
for a heart transplant, your name will be under the organ sharing list, and the
time donor is available candidates selected on the basis of the severity of the
condition.
Cost of
heart transplant surgery in India
The time you are selected as a
perfect candidate for a heart transplant, and you get a perfect donor for
yourself, you have to go to the hospital immediately and have to prepare
yourself for it. The cost of Heart Transplant in
India ranges amid USD 50000 to USD 65000.
Along with this, the cost of pre-transplant workup is about 5000 USD in India.
The heart transplant will need open heart surgery and a stay in the hospital.
The entire process will vary from person to person and will depend on the
condition.
