What are the advantages and disadvantages of heart transplant?

It varies: Heart transplant is an aggressive and often effective treatment for severe heart failure, when other treatment options are exhausted. A transplant can dramatically improve a patient's quality of life, but the patient must take anti-rejection medication to prevent rejection of the transplanted heart by the immune system. Complications of these medications include severe infections and cancer.

It depends.: It depends on what you are comparing with heart transplantation, and comes down to a choice you make with your loved ones and medical team. The obvious advantage is you get a heart that works better. Diasadvantages include the uncertainty of timing, the risk of surgery, and immunosuppression. Consultation with your doctor or a specialist might give you a more complete, personalized answer.