Advances in the understanding and management of heart transplantation

Abstract

Cardiac transplantation represents one of the great triumphs in modern medicine and remains the cornerstone in the treatment of advanced heart failure. In this review, we contextualize pivotal developments in our understanding and management of cardiac transplant immunology, histopathology, rejection surveillance, drug development and surgery. We also discuss current limitations in their application and the impact of the left ventricular assist devices in bridging this gap.