Heart Transplantation

Heart transplantation has emerged as a viable therapeutic strategy for select patients with end-stage heart disease, offering extended survival and improved quality of life. With advancement made in transplant candidate selection, surgical techniques, immunosuppressive regimens, and postoperative care, long-term outcomes after transplantation have improved One year survival averages about 85%-90% and the 12 yrs. survival rate is approximately 50% by the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) registry.

Heart Transplant Co-ordinators
Jinumol Jose, Phone - 9400998022
Vishnu Moni, Phone - 9400998304
Sethu V. Krishnan, Phone - 9400998304

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

 Heart Transplant Program at Amrita

• The programme started in January 2015 with our first transplant done on January 05, 2015.
• Total heart transplants done - 8.
• Simultaneous heart and kidney transplant done - 1.
• Comprehensive heart failure clinic.
• Cardiac transplant patients are treated by an integrated multi-disciplinary team comprising off Cardiothoracic surgeons, Cardiologists, Critical Care Specialists, and other Supporting services such as radiology, transfusion services, infectious diseases, microbiology, histopathology, nephrology and dedicated ICU staff.
• Patients are cared for in a well-equipped 3 bedded Transplant ICU managed by specially trained staff.

Indications for Heart Transplant Evaluation Include:

• Ischemic heart disease.
• Hypertrophic heart disease.
• Severe decompensated inoperable valvular heart disease.
• Congenital heart disease.
• Any other cardiac abnormalities that severely limit normal function and/or have a mortality risk of greater than 50 percent at two years.
• Assist Device dependent patients who meet criteria for transplantation.
• Age younger than 60 years (Will consider 60 to 70 years old on case-by-case basis).
• Life-threatening heart rhythm disorders that fail treatment.
• Chest pain refractory to maximum medical and surgical therapy.

Transplant Workup Process

A cardiologist and coordinator will discuss with you and answer any questions you might have. Depending on your medical history, additional physicians visits and tests will be carried out. Most evaluations will include:

• Blood testing
• Heart studies, which may include any or all of the following:
  • Echocardiogram
  • Electrocardiogram
  • Holter monitoring
  • Cardiac catheterisation
  • Pulmonary function tests
  • Urinary system evaluation
  • Abdominal ultrasound
  • Chest x-ray
  • Vascular doppler studies
• Dental exam, including x-ray
• Complete physical exam

You may be discharged from the hospital before all the results are available, and some of the testing may be done as an outpatient.
After the workup process is complete, case will be discussed in the heart team meeting and decision to list in the KNOS (Kerala network for organ sharing) will be taken. Subsequently you will be counselled to relocate to a location close to the hospital.

Heart failure Clinic:  10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.(Every Fridays)