Heart failure surgery and transplantation

Cardiac surgery in heart failure (HF) patients is gaining more and more importance as HF prevalence is increasing in the general population. Therefore, surgery offers potential benefits at any stage of HF prognosis and for various HF aetiologies. Since both decision making and treatment options are becoming increasingly complex in our aging population, decisions should be made based on a specialized HF team, to achieve optimal and sustained results for the patient. Currently, most intermediate and long-term treatment options for end stage HF patients result in surgical interventions (LVAD therapy, transplantation). However, both pre- and post-operative as well as outpatient care is often managed by the cardiologist. Therefore, gaining expertise in the field through indications and complication management, as well as the know-how surrounding surgical principles is highly valuable for every cardiologist.