In December, 1967, Barnard transplanted a human heart, thereby ushering in a new era in cardiac surgery. Since then, heart transplantation has generally been the treatment of choice for patients who are severely ill with cardiac disease. However, Japan is the advanced country in which heart transplantation has never been performed.
Beginning in January, 1996, the author had two months of direct clinical experience at The Transplantation Center of Pittsburgh University Hospital, a world famous center for organ transplantation. The author actively joined members of the cardiac transplantation team in early morning conferences, going the rounds of patients, participating in outpatient clinics, and so on. The author also assisted in surgical procedures on several occasions and garnered a wealth of information as a result of these experiences. The author reports his valuable experiences during this period and also discusses the present status of heart transplantation in Japan.