This page explains how a heart transplant is carried out.
How is the heart transplant carried out?
The heart transplant surgery will be done within hours of finding a donor heart.
Your child will be given general anaesthesia. They will be attached to monitoring lines so the staff can carefully watch your child's condition. Once your child is asleep, the surgeon will make an incision (surgical cut) down the middle of your child's chest. Your child is then put on the cardiopulmonary bypass machine, which takes over the job of your child's heart and lungs.
Your child's heart is removed and the new one is connected to your child's blood vessels. Your child is taken off bypass and the new heart starts beating as it warms up.
Sometimes a new donor heart needs special medicines or treatments to help it begin beating regularly. Your child may need a pacemaker for a short time.
Before the surgery ends, the surgeon will check all parts of the heart for leaks.
How long will the transplant operation take?
Surgery to transplant the heart takes four to 10 hours. If your child has had heart operations before, it could take longer.
What problems can occur with transplantation?
Your transplant surgeon and cardiologist will discuss with you all the potential problems that could occur. Some of them include:
- The new heart may be weak. Your child may need very strong intravenous drugs to help the heart pump blood to all organs of the body.
- Low blood pressure. Your child will need strong intravenous drugs to help keep the blood pressure up.
- A lot of bleeding. Your child may need to get blood transfusions to replace the blood lost during the operation.
- Kidney failure. Your child’s kidneys may not work very well immediately after the transplant, and they may need temporary dialysis until they start to work again.
- Collapsed lungs. Your child will be on a breathing machine to help the lungs work. Still, there is a chance that the lungs may collapse or fill with liquid.
- Seizures (convulsions). Your child may need to start taking medications called anticonvulsants to control seizures.
Outcomes also depend on the child's condition before surgery. If your child was in extremely poor condition, the surgery may be quite strenuous.