Herztransplantation

Heart transplantation is the gold-standard in the treatment of terminal heart failure. The shortage of donor hearts represents the major obstacle in patient care and necessitates the creation of waiting lists and allocation algorithms. The Transplantation Act regulates donor heart allocation according to the urgency and the prospects of success. Donor hearts can be implanted following the classical biatrial or the modern bicaval valve implantation technique with a slightly lower spectrum of complications. Modern mechanical perfusion systems enable extended transport times. After heart transplantation rejection reactions must be controlled by an individually adjusted immunosuppression to guarantee long-term survival with as few complications as possible.