Best Cardiologist In Mumbai-Risks of Heart Transplant

Although receiving a donor heart can save one’s life, having a heart transplant entails a lot of risks. The most significant risk is the body rejecting the heart.

Donor Heart Rejected

The immune system looks at the donor heart as a foreign object that is not supposed to be in the patients’ heart. Hence the immune system tries to attack the donor heart. Everyone who goes through a heart transplant is put on immunosuppressants which help in reducing the activities of the immune system. However 25% of heart transplant recipients still tend to experience some vital signs of rejection in the first year post the transplant.

Often it is observed that the rejection occurs without any symptoms and can be corrected with some adjustment of medicines. However if the medicines are missed, the reactions can be severe and serious. Hence instructions from the doctor need to be followed religiously

To understand if the body is rejecting the new heart there will be regular biopsies post the transplant which will be continued for several months. During the biopsy, a tube is inserted into a vein in the neck or groin area and directed to the heart. A small sample of heart issue is extracted through the biopsy device running through the tube. It is then sent for lab examination. Most of the biopsies are done in the first year post the transplant as this is the time when there are maximum chances of rejection. Signs and symptoms of the body rejecting the donor heart are:

• Shortness of breath
• Fever
• Weight gain due to water retention
• Urinating much less than usual
• Fatigue

Some more risks post the heart transplant includes:

• Problems with the arteries: After the transplant it is possible that the walls of the arteries in the heart could thicken and harden leading to cardiac allograft vasculopathy. This will create difficulties for blood circulation and can lead to a heart attack or heart failure. It may also cause heart arrhythmias or sudden cardiac death.
• Side Effects of medicines : The immunosuppressants that are required to be taken for the rest of the life can cause serious kidney damage and other problems
• Cancer: Immunosuppressants can also increase the risk of cancer. Taking these medicines can put one at a greater risk of skin, lip tumor, and non Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
• Infection: Immunosuppressants decrease the body’s ability to fight infection. Hence most people who go through a heart transplant tend to catch an infection which requires hospitalization in the first year post the surgery
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