Surgery Process For Our Heart Transplant and VAD Implantation Patients
What to expect before, during, and after your surgical procedure.
Before
Before your heart transplant or ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation, your doctor may require additional tests and check your overall health. You will also receive specific individualized instructions about preparing for surgery. When a donor heart becomes available, your transplant surgeon will schedule the procedure.
Timing
How quickly you proceed to surgery will be determined by many factors, including the time needed to prepare for a VAD procedure or the arrival of the donor heart, the time for crossmatch testing, and your need for additional testing before surgery. VAD and total artificial heart procedures are scheduled in advance, though they may need to be done urgently. Transplants are dependent on the availability of a donor heart.
Surgical Procedure
The procedure time varies with each patient, but typically is about four to six hours. After the procedure, you will spend time in the recovery care unit, followed by at least a few days in surgical intensive care. Adult patients will stay at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s specialized transplant unit, while children will be in the comfortable surroundings of our pediatric intensive care unit at Holtz Children’s Hospital. After the ICU, patients are transported to specialized transplant floors to continue their recovery.
Recovery
You will be assisted in resuming physical activity after surgery, and will be expected to increase your amount of activity every day to prevent complications such as pneumonia and blood clots. Meanwhile, your doctor and nursing team will take blood and urine samples to evaluate the functioning of the VAD or the health of your new heart. VAD patients will have their device monitored by a special computer that connects to the device. A transplant pharmacist will meet with you and your family to discuss your new medications.
It is common for patients to be referred for long-term care or rehabilitation after they leave Jackson Memorial Hospital. The team will discuss this with you as your recovery progresses.
Follow-up Care
Most heart transplant patients are discharged two weeks after surgery, while some—including most children—will spend several days longer in the hospital. Some patients will require longer stays. You will receive instructions about what to do when you return home, along with the date and time of a follow-up appointment with your transplant care team at the Miami Transplant Institute.
Before
Before your heart transplant or ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation, your doctor may require additional tests and check your overall health. You will also receive specific individualized instructions about preparing for surgery. When a donor heart becomes available, your transplant surgeon will schedule the procedure.
Timing
How quickly you proceed to surgery will be determined by many factors, including the time needed to prepare for a VAD procedure or the arrival of the donor heart, the time for crossmatch testing, and your need for additional testing before surgery. VAD and total artificial heart procedures are scheduled in advance, though they may need to be done urgently. Transplants are dependent on the availability of a donor heart.
Surgical Procedure
The procedure time varies with each patient, but typically is about four to six hours. After the procedure, you will spend time in the recovery care unit, followed by at least a few days in surgical intensive care. Adult patients will stay at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s specialized transplant unit, while children will be in the comfortable surroundings of our pediatric intensive care unit at Holtz Children’s Hospital. After the ICU, patients are transported to specialized transplant floors to continue their recovery.
Recovery
You will be assisted in resuming physical activity after surgery, and will be expected to increase your amount of activity every day to prevent complications such as pneumonia and blood clots. Meanwhile, your doctor and nursing team will take blood and urine samples to evaluate the functioning of the VAD or the health of your new heart. VAD patients will have their device monitored by a special computer that connects to the device. A transplant pharmacist will meet with you and your family to discuss your new medications.
It is common for patients to be referred for long-term care or rehabilitation after they leave Jackson Memorial Hospital. The team will discuss this with you as your recovery progresses.
Follow-up Care
Most heart transplant patients are discharged two weeks after surgery, while some—including most children—will spend several days longer in the hospital. Some patients will require longer stays. You will receive instructions about what to do when you return home, along with the date and time of a follow-up appointment with your transplant care team at the Miami Transplant Institute.
