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A heart transplant is a surgical transplantation procedure that is performed on patients suffering from severe coronary artery disease or end-stage heart failure. A functioning heart from a recently deceased organ donor is implanted into a patient when other medical or surgical treatments have failed to suffice. It is not considered a cure but a life-saving treatment that is intended to improve the chances of survival and provide a better quality of life to individuals. Patients who do not qualify for a heart transplant may be prescribed a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or an artificial heart. In some cases, a heart-lung transplant is performed in patients with diseased heart and lungs. Nearly 3,500 heart transplant surgeries are performed worldwide every year. The survival period post-operation is averaged to be at 15 years. This book presents the complex aspects of heart transplantation in the most comprehensible and easy to understand language. Different approaches, evaluations, methodologies and advanced studies on heart transplantation have been included in this book. It will be a valuable resource for cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, residents and students alike.
