Heart – OPTN

Heart

Patient brochure

Find information for patients and families to understand and navigate organ donation and transplantation below:

Questions and answers for transplant candidates about:

The heart

Functions of the heart

The heart is a strong, muscular, cone-shaped organ. It is located behind the breastbone between the lungs. It pumps blood throughout the body.

Blood that no longer carries oxygen flows from the heart to the lungs, where it gives up wastes and gets new oxygen. From there, the blood returns to the heart and is pumped to the rest of the body.

Heart failure happens when the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Birth defects, or any condition that damages or overloads the heart muscle, can cause it. Treatment depends on the cause of heart failure and the age and condition of the patient.

Heart transplant procedures

Most heart transplants involve replacing the patient’s heart with the heart from a deceased donor. In rare cases, the patient’s native heart is not removed; this is known as a heterotopic transplant.

There also have been a few transplants involving a living heart donor. This may occur if one patient receives a heart-lung combination transplant but their heart is in good condition. This patient’s heart may then be transplanted into another recipient. This is known as a “domino” heart transplant.

Reasons for heart transplant