The reasons patients come to Sutter Heart Transplant Services fall into two major categories: cardiomyopathy (68 percent) and coronary heart disease (32 percent).

Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that involves a weakening or stiffening of the muscle. When medications and treatments fail, a heart transplant may be the only option. For a complete understanding of the various forms of cardiomyopathy, please see cardiomyopathy, dilated; cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic; and cardiomyopathy, restrictive in the health information section of this web site.

Coronary heart disease is caused by blockages or narrowing of the blood vessels leading to the heart. Several treatment options are available, including medication, catheter-based treatments, coronary artery bypass surgery and laser-assisted treatment. When the patient's life is still in jeopardy in spite of traditional treatments, a heart transplant may be seen as the only option for extending life. For a more complete understanding of the causes and effects of the disease, please see coronary artery disease and stable angina in the health information section of this web site.

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