Advances in Transplantation – Mayo Clinic

Vivian Williams: Organ transplantation has made great strides in the past few decades. Let's take heart transplantation as an example. Previously, only people under the age of 50 could undergo it, and it was quite dangerous. Today, people in their 70s, transplant recipients, and transplant recipients of all ages are living longer and feeling stronger. Learn more about the current state of heart transplantation at Mayo Clinic.

Bob Aronson: I enjoy doing some woodworking.

Mr. Williams: Model shipbuilding doesn't seem like a lot, but when Bob Aronson had a weakened heart from a disease called cardiomyopathy, any activity was too much.

Mr. Aronson: I couldn't do anything else other than sit in front of the TV and sleep.

Mr. Williams: Cardiomyopathy is understood to be a disease of the heart muscle. The heart becomes weak and cannot pump efficiently. Medications may help, but in severe cases like Bob's, the only option is a heart transplant.

Mr. Aronson: I'm some kind of miracle. I was only on the list for 13 days.

Mr. Williams: Bob was lucky because there were not enough donor organs to meet the demand. At any given time, 10,000 people are waiting for an organ, but only a quarter of them receive a transplant. But Dr. Jeffrey Hosenpad says there's good news. Fewer people will die while waiting.

Mayo Clinic cardiologist Jeffrey Hosenpad, M.D.: We use mechanical pumps to keep patients alive while they wait for a transplant.

Mr. Williams: And the even better news is that transplant patients are living longer.

Dr. Hosenpad: When I started this business in the mid-'80s, our results were a 70-80% one-year survival rate. The current hope is that the patient will at least survive, with a 1-year survival rate of at least 90%.

Mr. Williams: But the reality is that we need more donor organs to save the lives of people like Bob.

Mr. Aronson: That donor and his family gave me life back. I was on the verge of death, but they gave me life back.

Mr. Williams: The most common causes of heart failure requiring transplantation are cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease. To learn more about Bob and his desire to spread the word about organ donation, check out his blog at https://bobsnewheart.wordpress.com/.

Medical Edge's contact person is Vivien Williams.