Why it's done

Heart transplants are performed when other treatments for heart problems haven't worked, leading to heart failure. In adults, heart failure can be caused by:

A weakening of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy)

Coronary artery disease

Heart valve disease

A heart problem you're born with (congenital heart defect)

Dangerous recurring abnormal heart rhythms (ventricular arrhythmias) not controlled by other treatments

Failure of a previous heart transplant

In children, heart failure is most often caused by either a congenital heart defect or cardiomyopathy. Another organ transplant may be performed at the same time as a heart transplant (multiorgan transplant) in people with certain conditions at select medical centers.
Multiorgan transplants include:

Heart-kidney transplant
This procedure may be an option for some people with kidney failure in addition to heart failure.

Heart-liver transplant
This procedure may be an option for people with certain liver and heart conditions.

Heart-lung transplant
Rarely, doctors may suggest this procedure for some people with severe lung and heart diseases if the conditions cannot be treated with only a heart transplant or a lung transplant.

A heart transplant is not right for everyone, however you might not be a good candidate for a heart transplant if you:

Are at an advanced age that would interfere with the ability to recover from transplant surgery

Have another medical condition that could shorten your life, regardless of receiving a donor heart, such as a serious kidney, liver or lung disease

Have an active infection

Have a recent personal medical history of cancer

Are unwilling or unable to make lifestyle changes necessary to keep your donor heart healthy, such as not drinking alcohol or not smoking