At Cleveland Clinic, we reflect upon heart transplantation as a complex process with ethical implications. This is because donor organs are scarce and heart transplantation management is a life-long concern requiring compliance to a doctor prescribed regimen that includes a healthy diet, exercise, and long-term medication after heart transplantation.
The first step in establishing a treatment partnership with the CCF Heart Transplant Team is undergoing an evaluation for your (your child's) suitability as a heart transplantation candidate. We rely upon a series of tests and evaluations with specialists to ascertain your hear transplantation eligibility.
Not all patients are clinically appropriate for heart transplantation, as there may be findings that would predict failure of the transplanted organ. Furthermore, not all patients referred will need transplantation, as many alternatives exist.