FACT
The survival after
heart transplant
surgery is about
88% after the first
year, 75% after 5
years and 56% after
10 years.FACT
The first human
heart transplant was
performed on the
3rd December 1967
by Professor
Christiaan Barnard,
aSouth African
heart surgeon. The
patient, Mr Louis
Washkansky
unfortunately only
survived for 18 days
after the surgery.
However the cause
of death was
pneumonia, and not
his new heart,
which beat strongly
till his death.Figure 8.23: Stent replacement in heart patients.Pacemaker
Pacemakers are small electrical devices that get implanted into the chest or abdomen of
patients in order to help control arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms). Modern devices are
quite advanced and can learn a patient’s normal heart-beat patterns and detect when the
heart enters an abnormal rhythm ( e.g. skips a beat). The device will then send out a little
electrical pulse to stimulate the heart to beat and restore a normal heart beat.
Valve replacement
Valve replacement surgery is the replacement of one or more of the heart valves with an
artificial valve. There are two types of valves presently being used: Biological valvesare
manufactured from animal or human tissue. These valves have a life span of approximately
12 to 15 years. If biological valves are used the patient generally does not require additional
blood thinning medication. Mechanical valvesare manufactured from synthetic materials.
These valves, because they are made of synthetic materials last longer, but the patient needs
to take anti-coagulant medication for the rest of their lives.
Coronary Bypass Surgery
This is the most common type of surgery used for the treatment of coronary heart disease.
The surgeon removes a section of a vein from the patient’s leg and then carefully grafts the
removed vein (attaches) onto the aorta to bypass the blocked part of the artery.
See video: SHORTCODEat http://www.everythingscience.co.zaHeart Transplant
A heart transplant is the surgical removal of a person’s diseased heart and replacement with
a healthy heart from a donor. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is damaged or
weak. As a result, it cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Heart transplants
are done as a life-saving measure for end-stage heart failure. Donor hearts are in short supply,
patients who need heart transplants go through a very careful selection process. They must
be sick enough to need a new heart, yet healthy enough to receive it. Survival rates for people
receiving heart transplants have improved, especially in the first year after the transplant.
Figure 8.24: Heart transplant by Dr Christiaan Barnard.Chapter 8. Transport systems in animals 247