Benefits and risks of a heart transplant
How a heart transplant can help and problems that might occur
Key points
- For carefully selected patients with advanced heart failure, a heart transplant provides the best quality of life and survival
- Most people who have a heart transplant do well
- However, not every patient feels better or lives longer after having a transplant
- There can be serious risks from the surgery and the transplant medicines
What are the benefits?
In carefully selected patients, a heart transplant is usually the best treatment for heart failure in patients who are fit enough for the operation.
Main advantages of a successful heart transplant:
- Most heart transplant patients live longer
- Most heart transplant patients enjoy a better quality of life
- Higher energy levels
- Improved general well-being
- Work and travel is easier
What are the risks?
A heart transplant requires complex surgery and can cause problems for some patients.
Main complications of a heart transplant:
- It is a major operation and comes with surgical risks, like bleeding
- You will need to take powerful medicines to suppress your immune system
- It is possible that the transplanted heart will not work well enough to maintain the circulation
- There is a risk of dying afterwards, this is highest in the first few months
Average survival statistics
Adults
The average patient survival after a heart transplant in the UK is 14 years.
However, life expectancy for patients after a heart transplant is very variable depending on age and other medical issues.
Children and young people
Survival for child patients is on average longer than for adults. Out of 100 children, 89 are alive 1 year after the transplant, and 86 are alive at 5 years after the operation.
The average survival for child heart transplant patients in the UK is around 20 years, and survival is continuing to improve.
85 in 100
Adult patients are alive 1 year after a heart transplant*
72 in 100
Adult patients are alive 5 years after a heart transplant*
More information
Discuss your options with your doctor
If you’re considering a heart transplant, your first step is to talk to your heart doctor.
If you and your doctor agree a heart transplant may be a good treatment for you, they will arrange for you to have a series of tests.