Heart transplant FAQs

Adults

For adults, the average survival after a heart transplant in the UK is 14 years.

Life expectancy for patients after a heart transplant is variable depending on age and other medical issues. Please discuss this with the team caring for you.

Children and young people

For children and young people, survival after a heart transplant is on average longer than for adults. Out of 100 children, 86 are alive five years after a heart transplant.

Since the first heart transplants for UK children, approximately 50% of patients have survived for 20 years after the operation, and outcomes continue to improve. Please speak to your transplant team to learn more.

Out of 100 patients, 85 are alive one year after a heart transplant.

Out of 100 patients, 72 are alive five years after a heart transplant.

Data from Annual Report on Cardiothoracic Organ Transplantation 2021/22, NHS Blood and Transplant, published September 2022 (PDF, 2.6MB)

Longer-term survival is increasing and there are several patients in the UK who have survived beyond 30 years.  

All decisions on transplantation are made on a case-by-case basis. If you have concerns that you might be too old for a heart transplant, please discuss this with your heart care team.

The average wait for a heart transplant in the UK depends on how unwell you are. Please talk to the transplant team looking after you.

Learn more about waiting times

How long you stay in hospital after a heart transplant depends on your condition at the time of the transplant and whether you have complications after the operation. If you are in good physical condition at the time of the operation and have an uncomplicated post-operative course you may be discharged in 2 to 3 weeks.

If you have spent a long time in intensive care before surgery you may need a more prolonged hospital stay.

Learn about recovering from a heart transplant

Everyone recovers at a different rate after a heart transplant. After the first year since your operation, it is likely that your heart function will be stable and you won’t need to come to the transplant clinic as often.

Learn about living with a heart transplant

As with any major operation, there is a risk of dying. The average risk of dying during the first year after a heart transplant is between 16 to 17 patients out of 100. However, this varies widely on a patient-by-patient basis.

Learn about the risks of a heart transplant

This depends on why your own heart became diseased but is very rare. Please speak to the transplant team looking after you.

This is possible in a very small number of patients.

Yes, this is possible. Your general health will be taken into account. Please consider recording your wishes on organ donation in the national register.

Register to donate

Adults

There were 145 adult heart transplants performed in 2021/2022 in the UK.

Children and young people

There are around 30-35 heart transplants for children and young people per year.

Data from Annual Report on Cardiothoracic Organ Transplantation 2021/22, NHS Blood and Transplant, published September 2022 (PDF, 2.6MB)

In the UK, around 274* people are in need of a heart transplant.

*Data as of 31 March 2022. Taken from Annual Report on Cardiothoracic Organ Transplantation 2021/22, NHS Blood and Transplant, published September 2022 (PDF, 2.6MB)

Children and young people

The number of children on the waiting list varies, but usually there are between 30 and 50 children and young people waiting.