The state of the art in heart transplantation.

Cardiac transplantation is in its fourth decade as a treatment for end-stage cardiomyopathy and heart failure. It has reached a mature stage in its development as an effective treatment and many issues are settled with respect to best practices. However, there are many areas of ongoing research and significant advances that are continually being recognized. What constitutes 'State of the Art' in heart transplantation? This review focuses on developments in the pretransplant, peritransplant, and posttransplant phases of the care of the potential heart transplant recipient.