Heart Transplant

What to Expect with Heart Transplant

If you’ve been told you need a heart transplant, it is because your heart condition is not responding to other treatments. Being prepared both emotionally and physically for surgery is important. Your IU Health transplant team is there every step of the way, from your first appointment to caring for you after your transplant surgery.

Because heart transplant is a complex procedure, the IU Health transplant team will typically include:

• Cardiologists who specialize in advanced heart failure and heart transplants.
• Cardiocthoracic surgeons experienced in advanced heart failure and mechanical devices.
• Heart transplant coordinators who guide you from your initial diagnosis through your transplant and recovery.
• Transplant pharmacists, dietitians, social workers, psychologists and other transplant team members
• Dedicated inpatient transplant unit to care for you after your transplant

Our Expertise

IU Health Heart Transplant has provided expertise in caring for heart failure patients for more than 30 years. Since the program’s inception in 1982, our surgeons have performed more than 650 adult cardiac transplants and managed some of the most challenging heart failure cases. We provide a comprehensive range of therapies using a multidisciplinary approach to optimize treatment and outcomes for patients.

IU Health Transplant offers more advantages, including:

• An Advanced Heart Care Program on the forefront of clinical advancement in heart failure care, heart transplant and ventricular assist device (VAD) services. The program incorporates both inpatient and outpatient services that span the continuum of care for patients with advanced or recurrent heart failure.
• A comprehensive lifetime care program to meet the ongoing medical needs of adults living with congenital heart disease. Our Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program is the only program in Indiana recognized by the Adult Congenital Heart Association. It offers access to complex diagnostic cardiac catheterization and trans-catheter interventions, as well as the latest technologies in valve replacement and defect closure devices. Currently, only 47 adult congenital heart disease programs in the U.S are accredited through the ACHA. Nationwide, ACHD impacts 2.3 million patients, and IU Health aims to provide the highest-quality care to these patients and their families each year.

Our pediatric patients receive the same innovative care from the pediatric cardiothoracic transplant specialists at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health. Comprised of the divisions of Cardiovascular Surgery, Pediatric Cardiology and the Riley Heart Research Center, the Riley Heart Center at IU Health is internationally recognized as a leader in treating children with heart disorders. The cardiac medical and surgical team is the only group performing pediatric heart transplantation in Indiana.

Mechanical Circulatory Support

Approximately 75 percent of heart transplant patients receive a Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) while waiting for their transplant. Our VAD Program has been helping heart transplant patients for over 25 years and serves as a national training site for physicians and other allied health providers.

Certified by The Joint Commission for destination therapy since 2008, our program is actively involved in numerous clinical trials and offers a variety of options to meet your needs. Technological advances, including miniaturized, non-pulsatile assist devices are routinely used to help many patients return to an active lifestyle.

IU Health serves as a referral center for the state of Indiana, treating the most complex advanced heart care patients.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) provides cardiopulmonary bypass support for pediatric and adult patients with severe but potentially reversible forms of cardiovascular or respiratory failure.

Unique to IU Health, both the adult and pediatric ECMO programs are accredited by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO).

In 2018, ELSO named IU Health Methodist Hospital a platinum-level Center of Excellence in Life Support. This distinction is the highest level of excellence by ELSO to recognize centers for having processes, procedures and systems in place that promote exceptional patient care in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

At that time, IU Health Methodist Hospital was one of only 14 programs out of 686 ECLS Centers registered with ELSO around the world to have earned this elite status and one of only four in the United States. In 2019, Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health was also recognized as a gold-level Center of Excellence in Life Support.

Preparing For Your Heart Transplant

Once you become a candidate for a heart transplant, you won’t be alone. Your pre-transplant coordinator will help you navigate the steps leading up to the procedure.

After Your Transplant

After your heart transplant, taking care of yourself is very important and your post-transplant coordinator will help you through recovery, rehabilitation and after care.

Questions to Ask

You will probably have a lot of questions about your heart transplant procedure. Some of the questions you might ask include:

• Why do I need a heart transplant?
• Is there any other procedure or treatment I could/should try first?
• How is the procedure done?
• Will I be in much pain afterward?
• How long will I be in the hospital?
• Will I need rehabilitation therapy afterward? And if so, for how long?
• What will my life be like living with a transplanted heart?
• Will I need additional surgery?

Be sure to write down these or other questions you may have. We strongly recommend you bring along a partner or a good friend who can help you by listening and also taking notes.

A heart transplant is a big step. Here are some resources to help you learn about transplant and your care. Be sure to ask your transplant team about anything you do not understand.