Heart Transplant

Heart Transplant Criteria for Children in Mayo Clinic in Minnesota

Children are considered for cardiac transplantation if one or more of the following conditions exist:

• The patient is having progressive deterioration of heart muscle function or functional status despite optimum medical therapy.
• The patient exhibits dangerous arrhythmias or has survived a cardiac arrest and is unresponsive to conventional therapy with medicines or an implantable defibrillator.
• The patient has cardiac failure despite aggressive medical therapy
• The patient has an unacceptably poor quality of life.
• The patient has progressive elevation of pulmonary artery pressure that could preclude cardiac transplantation at a later date.
• The patient has a serious form of congenital heart disease that likely will result in death within several months. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is the most common condition in this category. Mayo Clinic pediatric surgeons and pediatric cardiologists have extensive experience with both transplant and nontransplant options for children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Determining whether or not a child is a suitable candidate for heart transplantation involves evaluation of all the organ systems as well as the child's and the family's emotional and psychological ability to deal with the stresses associated with heart transplantation.