Specialty Description
Advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology encompasses the unique knowledge and skills required to care for patients with advanced heart failure, and those who have undergone or are awaiting transplantation.
Heart failure and transplant cardiology represents advanced training in cardiovascular disease and focuses on management of advanced or complicated heart failure beyond the scope of what is usually provided by general internists and general cardiologists. This includes treatment of patients with difficult to control heart failure, the ability to implement a wide array of electrophysiologic and hemodynamic support devices and complex percutaneous and surgical procedures in patients who may benefit from them, and evaluation of prospective patients for heart transplantation. Heart failure and transplant cardiologists often practice in the context of cardiology clinics and centers in which cardiac transplantation is provided. However, consultative and co-management services for other physicians managing patients with heart failure is often a significant aspect of practice (2).