Evaluation criteria for the pretransplant patient

As Achuff notes, transplant evaluation can be a lengthy and difficult process for patients and transplant personnel; however, the scarcity of donor organs mandates that heart transplant teams carefully evaluate all relevant physiologic and psychosocial data. By doing so, transplant professionals enhance their ability to select patients who are most likely to benefit from transplantation in terms of survival and quality of life, thereby making prudent use of a limited societal resource.