Inspiration for Heart Transplant Patients

The Heart Transplant

Heart transplantation is a frightening procedure, to say the least. The heart is the single most important organ in the body. Without the heart blood would not flow and oxygen would not be carried throughout the bloodstream, and life could not be sustained. A heart transplant procedure involves the removal of a healthy heart from a recently deceased organ donor which is then implanted into the patient. Roughly 3,500 heart transplants are performed every year, with approximately 800,000 people diagnosed with a Class IV heart defect, which qualifies them for this procedure. This disparity in numbers has engaged researchers for years, especially in terms of use of artificial hearts. It is possible with modern science to implant a man-made heart into a patient, or to even use parts from other species, although neither is as successful as a heart transplant from another human being.

The first heart transplant was performed in 1967 by a team led by Dr. Christiaan Barnard at Groote Schuur Hospital in South Africa. The patient lived for 18 days after the procedure before dying of pneumonia. The first successful heart transplant in the United States was performed a month later at Stanford University, with another being performed at the St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Texas in June of 1968. In that case, the patient survived for eight months before death resulted from rejection of the transplanted heart.

The Procedure

Before a transplant can occur a donor heart must be procured. The transplant patient is taken to a hospital to undergo evaluation and pre-surgical medication, while the heart of the donor patient is removed and inspected by the surgeons to determine if it is in suitable condition to be transplanted. The patient is also given immunosuppressive medication to reduce the chances of rejection by their immune system..

The most common type of surgery is the orthotopic procedure where the failing heart is removed by cutting a portion of the left atrium, with the new heart trimmed to fit into the remaining space and grafted to the great vessels and left atrium. The heteroptic procedure is rarer, with the original heart remaining in the patient’s chest, with the new heart positioned so that the chambers and blood vessels of the original heart are connected into what is called a “double heart”. The patient is required to remain on the immunosuppressive medication for the rest of their lives to ensure that their body does not reject the heart.

In 2006 doctors made medical history when they successfully transplanted a beating heart into a patient at the Bad Oeynhausen Clinic for Thorax and Cardiovascular Surgery in Germany. Normally hearts are injected with potassium chloride to stop them from beating prior to removal from the donor’s body, preserved through packaging in ice with four to six hours being the general lifespan. Rather than cooling the heart, the new procedure involves maintaining the heart at normal body temperature and hooking it up to a special machine called the Organ Care System that allows the heart to continue beating with actual oxygenated blood flowing through it. This allows the heart to be maintained in a suitable condition for significantly longer than the traditional icing method.

After the Surgery

Life after a heart transplant is understandably quite different. Significant physiological and psychological rehabilitation and therapy are required, in addition to modification of certain activities and diet. However, the success of this procedure has grown substantially over the years, with the longest surviving heart transplant patient passing away in August of 2009. His name was Tony Huesman, and he lived for 31 years with a transplanted heart. Meanwhile, there are individuals such as Kelly Perkins, Dwight Kroening, and Kyle Garlett. Kelly Perkins is a mountain climber who has climbed the peaks of Mount Fuji, Kilimanjaro, the Matterhorn, Whitney, and most recently to the top of Cajon de Arenales in Argentina in 2007, 12 years after her transplant. Dwight Kroening was the first man to finish an Ironman competition 22 years after his heart transplant, followed by Kyle Garlett, who in 2009 alone competed in four different competitions, including two Half-Ironman competitions in July and August and then the Ford Ironman World Championship in October of 2009.

These individuals are an inspiration to heart transplant patients throughout the world, proving that life after a heart transplant hardly equates to becoming an invalid. While there is truth to the fact that precautions are necessary, living in fear is quite unnecessary. In the case of Kyle Garlett, the man is a four time cancer survivor in addition to surviving a heart transplant, thus illustrating that the body will follow the will to succeed. When asked why he was participating in Ironman competitions, his answer was “Because I can. Because I shouldn’t be able to. Because for so long I couldn’t.” Does that not say it all?

Read more on the latest scientific breakthroughs, alternative wellness techniques and disease & treatment options by clicking on our WELLNESS category. To receive more of such medical and health updates, visit the UltraFitnessDynamics Facebook page and click 'like'.