Heart Transplant

Alternate Names : Cardiac Transplant, Transplantation of the Heart

What happens right after the procedure?

After a heart transplant, a person usually stays in the intensive care unit for 7 to 14 days. Often he or she will stay on an artificial breathing machine, or ventilator, overnight. On the second or third day, the person may be well enough to move out of the ICU. Generally, he or she can start eating again within 2 to 5 days.

Medications to prevent rejection of the new heart are begun at the time of surgery. A combination of 2 or 3 different medications is given. Rejection of the heart may occur without any early symptoms, so frequent biopsies are done. A small tube is passed through the jugular vein in the neck and into the heart. A tiny piece of heart muscle tissue is removed and is examined under a microscope for signs of tissue rejection.

Before leaving the hospital, the person will receive a lot of information from the transplant team. He or she will learn the importance of taking medications as prescribed. Signs of rejection are stressed so that the person and family know what to watch for. A program of exercise and rehabilitation will also be prescribed.