Heart Transplant - A Brief Overview

1 Heart Transplant A Brief Overview 1. (Jan-14). 1. Learning that you might need a Heart Transplant can be very stressful. Whether you have been sick for a short This page intentionally left blank or long period of time, it can be hard to imagine that this is happening to you. You will have many questions. This booklet briefly describes what a Heart Transplant involves. 2 2 1 1. Stages of a Heart Transplant Up to 1 year (or more). Living life gradually return to normal routine and Recovery daily life 1 day to 1 year (or more), you stay in the hospital come to the Heart usually around 6 months for 2 to 3 weeks Transplant Clinic you return home if you every month for a live locally, or year, then once or Surgery - you will need to prepare twice a year you get the call to live in Vancouver for 3 live a Heart healthy you get your new Heart months lifestyle come to the Heart take anti-rejection Transplant Clinic every medications, week antibiotics.

2 Waiting nutritional you are on the wait list supplements you carry a pager and other Heart medications for life Transplant assessment a series of tests and interviews to determine if a Heart Transplant the right option for you 2 2 3 3. About Heart Transplants Heart Transplant an Overview A Heart Transplant is when we replace a person's There are five stages to a Heart Transplant . sick Heart with a healthy one from someone who has died and whose organs have been donated. Organ 1. Transplant assessment transplants are only possible because of the gift of an The first step is to decide if a person is a good candidate organ from a donor and their family.

3 For a Heart Transplant . Even though a Heart Transplant is one option, it is not always the best option. You will see the pre- Transplant team in the Transplant Clinic. You will have a number of tests, including some The person you probably have already had in the past. During this who gives time, you will get lots of information on what it means The person who the Heart is to have a Heart Transplant . receives a Heart called the donor'. Transplant is called If the team thinks a Heart Transplant is the right option, the recipient'. you and your loved ones will have a chance to talk with the team in detail about what will happen next.

4 If the team thinks it is the right time to go on the Transplant list and you agree, then you proceed to the waiting stage. When is a Heart Transplant a good option? A Heart Transplant might be an option for someone who 2. Waiting has advanced Heart failure but who is also in fairly good Your name would be placed on a wait list' and then the health. search for a donor Heart begins. A Heart Transplant can offer you a second chance at life Your wait could be as short as one day or as long as a and hope for the future. However, if you are a candidate year or more.

5 The average time is about 6 months. for a Heart Transplant , you need to know that your life will be different after the Transplant . You will have to We must be able to contact you at any time by phone make some major changes to your life. These changes or pager when a suitable Heart is found. If you plan to give you and your new Heart the best possible chance travel, please talk to your nurse or the social worker. for a long and healthy life. You will need to make a transportation plan to bring you to the hospital as quickly and safely as possible.

6 We recommend you stay within the province. 4 4 5 5. Waiting, (continued) Recovery, (continued). If you are becoming sicker while waiting for a Heart , Most people stay in hospital for 1 to 3 weeks. You spend the team will talk about options for treatment with you. this time learning how to care for yourself once you One option might be for you to have a mechanical Heart leave the hospital. (The chart on the next page shows an pump (called a Ventricular Assist Device or VAD). average recovery in hospital.). If you have any questions about options such as this, Note: You and a caregiver will need to stay in the Lower please ask the team.

7 Mainland for up to three months. You come to the Transplant Clinic often during this time. You should 3. The surgery start thinking now about where you might live and who Once a donor Heart that is a good match is found, we can stay with you. The social worker can help make will call you to come to St. Paul's Hospital. Normally, a these plans. person has between 4 and 6 hours to get to the hospital, A test you will have weekly in these first three months but this is different for every situation. How soon you after the Transplant is a Heart biopsy.

8 A Heart biopsy get to the hospital will depend on the time of day, the is done by inserting a thin, flexible tube into a vein in distance you need to travel, and the length of time we your neck and threading it into your Heart . Tiny pieces have to get you there. Long before you get the call, the of your new Heart 's tissue are removed for testing. social worker helps you make your travel plans. We test to see if your body is rejecting the Heart . (For Once you arrive at the hospital, you are prepared for more about rejection, see the section Frequently Asked your surgery.)

9 The surgery takes between 4 to 6 hours. Questions'). After your surgery, you stay in the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit (CSICU) for one or two days, or 5. Living life until you are well enough to move to the cardiology Everyone's recovery is different, but our goal is for ward. Transplant recipients to return to their normal lives and daily activities. 4. Recovery About four months after your surgery, your visits to How much time it takes you to recover depends on the Transplant Clinic decrease to once a month. You many things, especially how sick you were before the continue to come to the Transplant Clinic once or twice surgery.

10 A year after that. How often you come to see us depends on your health and progress. 6 6 7 7. 8 8 9 9. Your part in the Transplant journey PLifestyle . The Transplant team can do many things to get you live a smoke-free life and do not use ready for your Heart Transplant and help you recover recreational drugs afterwards, but it is you who is going to make the before you drink any alcohol talk with your difference. You must be willing to look after yourself Transplant doctor or nurse. Alcohol and drugs and your Heart both before and after your Heart can interfere with how some medications work Transplant .