Heart Transplantation and the Role of Inpatient Rehabilitation: A Narrative Review.

Heart transplantation is a definitive treatment option for patients with end-stage heart failure. Medical and functional complications are common after this procedure, and rehabilitation is often needed post-operatively. Physiatrists caring for persons who have received a donor heart must appreciate the surgical background, the physiologic changes expected, as well as the potential medical complications for which they are at risk after heart transplantation. This review summarizes various topics in heart transplantation including history of the procedure, exercise physiology and functional outcomes, post-operative medical therapy, medical complications, and special considerations for inpatient rehabilitation in this patient population.