Heart fails to pump sufficient blood and organs are starved of oxygen
Heart transplant procedure
1. Consultant assesses patient's condition
2. If other treatments not managing, transplant may be recommended
3. Patient put on waiting list
Heart transplant
Puts major strain on the body
Benefits and risks evaluated including severity of condition and other health factors
Artificial hearts
Plastic devices used occasionally to keep patients alive whilst waiting for a heart transplant
Can also be used to allow a patient's heart to rest to help it recover
After the transplant, the patient will
1. Need time to heal, recover and build up strength
2. Have to take drugs called immunosuppressant drugs for the rest of their life - this prevents the person's immune system from rejecting the donor heart
3. Have an increased risk of infection because of these drugs
