Cronología del trasplante cardíaco: más de tres décadas de historia (1985-2021)

As the world’s population lives longer and longer and has more cardiovascular risk factors, there is a greater prevalence of cardiovascular disease, including heart failure. Advances in medical knowledge, specifically in molecular, physiological and clinical fields, provide new and improved pharmacological treatments, cardiac devices and surgical procedures today which have optimi-zed this condition’s prognosis. The available surgical procedures for treating heart disease include heart transplantation, which is useful for patients with advanced disease or disease which is refractory to the ordered and implemented interventions. The world’s first heart transplant was performed in 1967, and Colombia’s first in 1985. As of 2021, more than 1,400 heart transplants had been performed in this country. This procedure seeks to improve the quality of life and survival of patients who need it. The purpose of this article is to compile the historical events surrounding this surgical procedure around the world and in Colombia.