When the heart is unable to provide adequate oxygen and nutrients to the body, this condition is referred to as heart failure. The two most common heart problems are coronary artery disease (the buildup of plaque in the arteries of the heart) and idiopathic cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle without a known cause). As the heart problem gets worse, the heart grows weaker and is less able to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. Because the heart must work harder to pump blood through the body, it tries to make up for this extra work by becoming enlarged. In time, the heart works so hard to pump blood that it may simply wear out, overcome by disease and unable to meet even the smallest pumping demands. Medicines, mechanical devices and other therapies can sometimes help and even improve a patient’s condition. But when those treatments fail, transplantation becomes the only option.

Since 1984, the Heart Transplantation Program has performed more than 250 heart transplants to date. The Heart Transplantation Program’s multidisciplinary team approach to medicine is ideally suited to the complex problems associated with heart failure and transplantation. The Heart Transplantation Program has excellent results providing advanced therapies for patients awaiting transplant including pharmacologic and device therapies.