J. A. (John) Macoviak, MD, is a retired heart transplant surgeon based in San Diego, CA. Holding a medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine and an MBA in healthcare from the University of California, Irvine, John Macoviak, MD, was the first surgeon to perform a heart transplant in Washington, DC.
A heart transplant is a surgical procedure that involves replacing a patient's diseased heart with a healthy one obtained from an organ donor. The donor has to be declared dead by at least two healthcare providers for their heart to be used for a transplant.
You may be a candidate for a heart transplant if your heart muscles are weak or severely damaged and are having difficulty pumping blood through your body. If you undergo a heart transplant, it could save your life, but there are potential risks. You could develop breathing problems, blood clots could develop, or the donor’s heart could fail. Heart transplants are viewed unfavorably by many physicians because of the cost, complications and complexity. Hospital administrators often try to use heart transplants as a marketing tool which often is counterproductive.
Not everyone is eligible for a heart transplant. Diabetes is still a challenge, Dr, Macoviak in Washington DC performed one compassionate heart transplant on a nuclear physicist who underwent a simultaneous pancreas transplant for diabetes by Dr's Hans Sollinger MD and Jimmy Light MD the first of its kind and none have been done since. The pancreas failed. Age is a factor. Most prospective heart transplant patients are younger than 65. Other factors, including overall health and the patient’s attitude toward living a healthy lifestyle are considered when looking at eligibility.
