A heart transplant is a surgical procedure used to treat the most serious cases of heart disease. This is a treatment option for people who are in the end stages of heart failure. Medication, lifestyle changes, and less invasive procedures haven’t succeeded. People must meet specific criteria to be considered a candidate for the procedure.

Open-heart surgery is any type of surgery where the chest is cut open and surgery is performed on the muscles, valves, or arteries of the heart.