[50 years of heart transplantations].

50 years have passed since the first human to human heart transplantation, performed by Christiaan Barnard in Cape Town December 3rd 1967. Over the years there has been a dramatic improvement in postoperative survival, mainly due to numerous diagnostic and therapeutic advances. Today, heart transplantation constitutes the treatment of choice among suitable patients with severe heart failure who worsen despite medical and surgical optimization. The world average 10-year survival has now reached more than 58 %. This text summarizes the past, present and future.