What happens later at home?

At home, the recipient can expect a slow, but steady recovery.

Overall results of heart transplants are quite good. Depending on the level of the person's illness at the time of the transplant, a successful outcome can be expected in 85% to 90% of cases. About 70% of people who had transplants between 1987 and 1996 have survived at least 5 years afterward.

What are the potential complications after the procedure?

Many complications are possible after a heart transplant.

Infection. An infection can be very serious for a heart transplant recipient. The medicine he or she takes to prevent rejection suppresses the immune system. This raises the overall risk of infection. Fortunately, common postoperative infections, such as a urinary tract infection, is not usually serious. A serious infection, such as one that affects the sternal incision and bone, can be very hard to treat. It can cause death. Pneumonia after a heart transplant can also be very serious.

Vascular problems. Major bleeding after a transplant is not uncommon. Virtually all heart transplant recipients need a blood transfusion during the operation. About 5% of heart transplant patients need a second operation within 24 to 48 hours to correct bleeding. This is often a result of constant oozing from the raw operated surfaces or leakage from sutures or staples.

Rejection. The body's normal response to a transplanted organ is to reject it. The immunosuppressive medications that are prescribed prevent rejection in 50% to 75% of cases. People who do have rejection episodes can be diagnosed with an electrocardiogram and analysis of a sample of tissue from the transplanted heart. Rejection is usually treated by increasing the amount of drugs taken or switching to different medications. Most of the time, it can be reversed. The more severe the rejection episode, the more likely there will be permanent scarring in the heart. That affects how long the organ will continue to work.

Cancer. Another long-term complication of immunosuppressive mediations is cancer. An estimated 6% to 8% of people who have had a transplant will develop cancer at a later date. This is a much higher rate than in the general population. The most common malignancy is skin cancer. Usually, it can be successfully treated.