Risks from the donated heart

Find out what factors can affect the health of a donated heart

Key points

All donated hearts carry some risk, though in general this is much lower than the risk posed by your heart disease
Some hearts are likely to work for longer than others
It is possible for diseases to be passed to you through the donated heart
Many factors in the donor can affect how well the transplant works

All donated hearts carry some risk

All donated hearts that are accepted for a transplant carry some risk; donor heart function is often abnormal immediately after the transplant although most improve after a few days of support.

For some donors there is a small risk of transmitting a condition to you, such as infections or cancers. The transplant team will only accept such organs if they feel that the risk is less than the risk of continuing on medication without a transplant.

When you are listed for a transplant you will be asked if you are willing to accept hearts from certain categories of donors. There is usually insufficient time for you to consider these factors at the time an organ becomes available.

Factors that can affect the health of a donated heart

Age is the most important factor that can affect the health of a donated heart.

The function of the new heart and its longevity are affected by the age of the donor. In practice, there is a compromise between waiting for an ideal younger donor and the risk of not surviving on the waiting list while you wait. When you are listed for a transplant, you may be asked whether you will accept a heart from a donor above 60 years in age.

How can the donor’s medical history affect your heart transplant?

There are many donor health issues that could affect how well a transplant works:

Disease or serious illness

Despite a range of blood tests that are carried out before organ donation, there is a small risk of transmitting certain infections to you. Tests will be carried out to look for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, as well as many other infections. These tests are very sensitive, but may be negative if the donor became infected very shortly before their death.

These infections are slightly more likely in people with particular lifestyles. You may be asked whether you will accept an organ from such donors if the blood tests show no evidence of infection.

Organ from donors who are known to have Hepatitis C are used in heart transplants. This is because we now have an effective course of medication, which can be used to treat you after the transplant. You will be specifically asked to consent to the use of such donors. Increasing the potential pool of donors is important if your team feel that you cannot wait too long for a transplant.

Viral infections

Some viral infections are very common in otherwise healthy people, including organ donors, and are unlikely to cause problems in the recipient. An example of this common type of viral infection is CMV (cytomegalovirus). You will be given tablets that can successfully prevent and treat CMV infection if it is passed on from the donor to the recipient.

Learn more about the risk of infections

Brain tumours

What happens if your donor is found to have health issues?

Your heart transplant team will tell you if there are any unusual concerns about the donor’s previous health or lifestyle that may lead to risks for you. You will be told how this might affect your health and how well a transplanted heart from this donor might work.

What do you need to know about your donor?