Patients referred to the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute for transplantation have an in-depth consultation with a heart transplant cardiologist before undergoing comprehensive diagnostic testing.

A team of transplant surgeons, cardiologists and coordinators evaluates the test results and decides on a plan for treatment. Acceptable candidates are placed on the waiting list of the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS), according to the urgency of the cardiac condition.

At Cedars-Sinai, a team of experienced cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiologists, nurses, operating room personnel, social workers, psychologists, dietitians, rehabilitation specialists, pharmacists and many other healthcare professionals works with the patient and his or her family to meet emotional, medical, surgical, family and financial needs while waiting for a donor heart and after.

Once you have been accepted as a candidate for a heart transplant, the wait for a new heart begins. At any given time, about 4,000 people are on the national patient waiting list for a heart transplant. Only about 2,500 donor hearts become available for transplant each year.

During this time, you may need a left ventricular assist device to help your heart pump until a healthy heart can be transplanted. In some cases, these devices can be used for many months. The device can improve your quality of life and overall health. In some cases, it may provide your heart enough rest to actually improve its condition.

Donor hearts usually come from people who have died of injuries that spared the heart. Once the complex process of matching a donor to a transplant candidate has occurred, it becomes a race against time. A donor heart cannot safely be outside of the body for more than four hours.

You must be reachable at all times so you'll know right away if a donor heart is found.