Heart Transplant Eligibility: Key Criteria for Candidate Selection

Heart transplant candidacy requires meeting strict medical and psychosocial criteria:

• End-stage heart failure refractory to optimal medical/device therapy.
• No viable alternative treatments (e.g., not a candidate for LVAD, revascularization).
• Adequate overall health to survive surgery and immunosuppression.
• Commitment to lifelong adherence: Immunosuppressants, follow-up, lifestyle.
• Absence of active addiction (alcohol, illicit drugs) – typically ≥6 months sobriety.
• No active infection or malignancy (except certain skin cancers).
• Financial/insurance coverage for transplant and lifelong care.
• Psychosocial stability and strong support system.

Evaluation is comprehensive and multidisciplinary. Meeting criteria places the patient on the waiting list; organ allocation follows UNOS policies (medical urgency, blood type, size, distance).