Transplant Living: Organ Donation and Transplantation Information for Patients


Organ Facts Heart Lung Heart/Lung Kidney Pancreas Kidney/Pancreas Liver Intestine Diseases Polycystic kidneys Diabetes mellitus COPD Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Cystic fibrosis Hypertension Coronary heart disease Cardiomyopathy Short gut syndrome Cirrhosis Hepatitis Living with Devices Artificial Hearts LVADS ICDs Pacemakers Hemodialysis Peritoneal Dialysis Liver Support Systems About Organ Allocation Matching Organs Waiting for an Organ Policies Getting on the List The National Waiting List People You Should Know Questions to Ask Selecting a Hospital Which Hospital Is Best For You? Other Options to Consider Financing a Transplant The Costs Social Services Funding Sources Care Following a Transplant Financial Resources Directory Financial Q & A Preparing for a Transplant Waiting for Your Transplant Emotional Aspects of Waiting Q & A		Organ Facts Heart How the Heart Works The heart is a strong and muscular organ that is about the size of a fist in adults. It pumps blood throughout the body and is located behind the breastbone between the lungs. Deoxygenated blood flows from the heart to the lungs where it gives up carbon dioxide and is freshly oxygenated. From there, the blood returns to the heart and is pumped to the rest of the body. U.S. Heart Transplants Performed The chart below shows the number of heart transplants performed each year from January 1, 2002 - April 30, 2008. Based on current OPTN data as reported on July 18, 2008. Data subject to change based on future data submission or correction. Common Diseases That May Lead to Transplantation Coronary heart disease Cardiomyopathy Congenital/valvular heart disease Hypertensive heart disease Reference and Publication Information The United Network for Organ Sharing is committed to providing accurate and reliable information for transplant patients. To learn more about our content authorship and review process, please read about our Editorial Board. The content on this page was originally created on August 1, 2003 by the United Network for Organ Sharing and last modified on December 20, 2005. This web site is intended solely for the purpose of electronically providing the public with general health-related information and convenient access to the data resources. UNOS is not affiliated with any one product nor does UNOS assume responsibility for any error, omissions or other discrepancies.		You may also want to learn about: How to understand transplant statistics Heart Transplant Centers Heart center data reports Policies specific to the heart How a heart transplant is performed Heart devices Coronary heart disease Cardiomyopathy