Heart Transplant
What is it?
A heart transplant also known as a cardiac transplant is a surgical procedure that are done on patients with final-stage heart failure or severe coronary artery disease.
The patient is given a new heart from a donor.
Heart failure is when your heart can't pump well. Heart failure is usually caused by coronary heart disease, high blood pressure or cardiomyopathy.
Donation rates per million population in New South Wales was 12.6 and in 2008, Australia had performed 1990 heart transplants, 169 combined heart and lung transplants, and 1,450 either single or double lung transplants.
The average waiting periods for a heart transplant is one year, hence it is why there are few heart transplants yearly.
A heart donor:
Must have complete loss of brain function
Must have the same blood type as the patient and have a similar body size and weight
Must have healthy organs
Must have no infectious diseases