<P> A heart transplant , or a cardiac transplant , is a surgical transplant procedure performed on patients with end - stage heart failure or severe coronary artery disease when other medical or surgical treatments have failed . As of 2016 , the most common procedure is to take a functioning heart , with or without transplanting one or both lungs at the same time , from a recently deceased organ donor ( brain death is the standard ) and implanting it into the patient . The patient 's own heart is either removed and replaced with the donor heart ( orthotopic procedure ) or , much less commonly , the recipient 's diseased heart is left in place to support the donor heart ( heterotopic , or `` piggyback , '' transplant procedure ) . Approximately 3500 heart transplants are performed every year in the world , more than half of which occur in the US . Post-operation survival periods average 15 years . Heart transplantation is not considered to be a cure for heart disease , but a life - saving treatment intended to improve the quality of life for recipients . </P>
<P> A heart transplant , or a cardiac transplant , is a surgical transplant procedure performed on patients with end - stage heart failure or severe coronary artery disease when other medical or surgical treatments have failed . As of 2016 , the most common procedure is to take a functioning heart , with or without transplanting one or both lungs at the same time , from a recently deceased organ donor ( brain death is the standard ) and implanting it into the patient . The patient 's own heart is either removed and replaced with the donor heart ( orthotopic procedure ) or , much less commonly , the recipient 's diseased heart is left in place to support the donor heart ( heterotopic , or `` piggyback , '' transplant procedure ) . Approximately 3500 heart transplants are performed every year in the world , more than half of which occur in the US . Post-operation survival periods average 15 years . Heart transplantation is not considered to be a cure for heart disease , but a life - saving treatment intended to improve the quality of life for recipients . </P>
where are the hearts that are used in transplants sourced from
where are the hearts that are used in transplants sourced from
a recently deceased organ donor
a recently deceased organ donor