title: Heart and heart-lung transplantation.
abstract: The fields of heart and combined heart-lung transplantation continue to evolve, allowing treatment of more individuals with end-stage heart and lung disease. The postoperative course and rehabilitation phase may be arduous, emphasizing the importance of selecting candidates who meet specific medical and psychosocial criteria. Life-long immunosuppression and meticulous long-term medical surveillance are mandatory practices to promote the health of the recipient. The major complications that contribute to morbidity and mortality, especially during the first post-transplant year, are infection and rejection. Graft atherosclerosis, obliterative bronchiolitis, and malignancy are long-term complications that may limit survival. In spite of the emotional and physical challenges related to potentially life-threatening complications and other disturbances in daily living, the quality of life for most recipients has markedly improved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muirhead
mesh_terms: D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016041:Heart-Lung Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D014181:Transplantation Immunology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents