Cardiac transplant; Transplant - heart; Transplantation - heart

Risks from any anesthesia are:

• Reactions to medications
• Problems breathing

Risks from any surgery are:

• Bleeding
• Infection

Risks of transplant include:

• Blood clots (deep venous thrombosis)
• Damage to the kidneys, liver, or other organs from anti-rejection medications
• Development of cancer from the drugs used to prevent rejection
• Heart attack or stroke
• Heart rhythm problems
• High cholesterol levels, diabetes, and bone thinning from the use of rejection medications
• Increased risk for infections due to anti-rejection medications
• Rejection of the heart
• Severe coronary artery disease
• Wound infections

Images

Heart, front view

Normal anatomy of the heart

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Heart transplant Overview

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Heart transplant Recovery

Review Date: 05/04/2011
Reviewed By: Shabir Bhimji, MD, PhD, Specializing in General Surgery, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Midland, TX. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)