Heart transplant

Alternative names:

cardiac transplant; transplant of the heart

Risks:

Risks for any anesthesia are:

• reactions to medications
• problems breathing

Risks for any surgery are:

• bleeding
• infection

Heart transplants carry major risks. There is a greater risk of infection because of the immunosuppressive drugs that must be taken to prevent transplant rejection. Call your doctor if there are signs of infection (redness, drainage, fever) or if there is a general worsening of the convalescence status.