Heart transplantation is the surgical procedure that is reserved for individuals with severe heart failure and by which a healthy heart is provided by a recently donated donor.
Heart failure means that serious pathological condition in which an individual's heart is irreparably damaged and no longer "works" as it should; in other words, it is difficult to pump blood into the circulation and to supply the various organs and tissues of the body with oxygen.
The state of heart failure can be due to the presence of: coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathies, defects of the heart valves (valvulopathies) and congenital heart defects .
Like any surgical operation, heart transplantation is also contraindicated in some situations, although the basic condition exists to put it into practice (ie heart failure).
The situations referred to and which, if neglected, would cause serious complications are:
- The presence of renal, pulmonary and / or hepatic diseases.
- The presence of insulin-dependent diabetes, associated with dysfunctions of other organs of the body
- The presence of diseases with a high mortality rate, not linked to heart failure. This is the case, for example, of advanced malignant tumors.
- The presence of vascular diseases at the level of the neck or legs. As a whole these pathologies are called peripheral arteriopathies.
- The presence of a high pulmonary vascular resistance.
- Having recently suffered an episode of thromboembolism. The term thromboembolism refers to the formation, in generally venous blood vessels, of fixed blood clots (thrombi) or mobile (emboli); these can more or less severely interrupt the correct blood circulation.
- Having over 60 years of age. This is a limit adopted by most hospital centers; in fact, there are clinical structures, both in Italy and in the world, which also treat patients of an older age. Much depends on health conditions.
- The patient's dependence on drugs, smoking and / or alcohol.
