If the heart muscle has been damaged and does not respond to treatment, a person may need a heart transplant. A heart transplant is a very serious operation that is used when a person has a high chance of dying. In a heart transplant the person's heart is removed and replaced with the heart from another person.

A normal person's body fights off foreign substances, even human tissues from other persons. When a heart is transplanted from one person to another, it is important to find a heart that is similar to the patient's. This heart may not come from a person who looks like the patient. Instead the heart has a similar makeup as the patient's tissue. Usually the heart that is used comes from someone who has died in an accident.

When a patient's heart disease is bad enough that a heart transplant seems necessary, doctors notify other doctors that they need a heart. This information is put into a computer. Usually there are more people who need a new heart than there are hearts that can be used. The computer helps match people who need a heart transplant with the right heart.

During the transplant operation, the patient is kept alive with a heart lung machine. After the operation this machine is not necessary. Afterwards, however, the patient will need to take medicine to keep their body from rejecting the new heart.

Heart transplants help many people who might die without them. It is important for people who are willing to donate their hearts to let friends and relatives know about this. They should also carry a donor card in their wallet or purse.

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