Medical course and complications after heart transplantation

Abstract

Heart transplantation prolongs lives and offers an average survival of 10 years. The transplanted heart is denervated; thus it takes some time for patients to acclimate to the new way their heart operates. After a heart transplant, patients are maintained on aggressive immunosuppression to prevent rejection. However, immunosuppressive medications are associated with their own risks, such as metabolic complications, kidney dysfunction, infection and malignancy. Despite immunosuppression, patients can experience rejection, and chronic cardiac allograft vasculopathy. Management of heart transplant recipients requires effective multidisciplinary teams and communication between the patients, the caregivers, and the transplant team.