Doctor's Notes on Heart and Lung Transplant
Patients who have heart or lung failure may require a life-saving heart or lung transplant. The most common reason for heart transplantation is severe end-stage heart failure, which occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood to the tissues in the body. The most common reason for lung transplantation is due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) such as emphysema. Other people are born with conditions that cause their lungs to fail.
Symptoms of heart failure include
- shortness of breath,
- nausea, and vomiting,
- weight gain, confusion,
- swelling of your arms and legs (edema),
- severe fatigue, and
- decreased urine.
Symptoms of lung disease include
- shortness of breath,
- coughing,
- wheezing,
- fatigue,
- bluish discoloration of the skin and lips, and
- in cystic fibrosis,
- recurrent pneumonia and
- excessive sputum production is common.
What Treatment is Done During a Heart and Lung Transplant?
It is much more common to perform either a lung transplant or a heart transplant by itself than it is to do a heart-lung transplant at the same time.
These surgeries are done under general anesthesia.
- The chest cavity is opened and the patient is placed on a heart bypass machine so the rest of the body continues to get oxygen during the surgery
- The diseased and damaged heart and/or lungs are removed
- The donor heart and/or lungs are then placed into the recipient
- Once the new organs are functioning adequately the patient is taken off the bypass machine and the chest is closed
Recovery time for transplant surgery can be long and complicated and patients receiving transplants usually need anti-rejection medications for the rest of their
Heart Disease : Test Your Medical IQ Quiz

In the U.S., 1 in every 4 deaths is caused by heart disease.
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Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a group of different types of heart disease. Symptoms of heart disease depend on the cause and inclue chest pain or angina, shortness of breath, palpitations, and dizziness. Many conditions causes heart disease, for example, genetics, obesity, high cholesterol, and smoking. Treatment for heart disease depend on the cause and include diet and other lifestyle changes, medications, procedures, and surgery. The prognosis (outlook) and life span for someone with heart disease varies depending on the cause. -
Interstitial Lung Disease
Interstitial lung disease, is a term to describe a certain lung condition. Causes of interstitial lung disease include lung infection, exposure to toxins in the environment (asbestos for example), medications (chemotherapy), radiation therapy, and chronic autoimmune disorders. Common symptoms of interstitial lung disease include a dry cough and shortness of breath. Diagnosis and treatment depend upon the cause of the condition. -
What Are Four Common Types of Heart Disease?
Coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, heart valve disease and heart failure are the four most common types of heart disease.
REFERENCE:
Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.