Strong Heart and Vascular Center

Transplant

Transplant Evaluation

The purpose of the evaluation process is fivefold. It is the basis to:

1. Determine if you will benefit from a transplant (not every patient with heart failure would).
2. Grade the severity of your heart disease and assess risk.
3. Identify conditions that would interfere with the success of a transplant, like active infections, malignancies, high blood pressure in the lungs, severe thickening of the arteries or other major organ dysfunction.
4. Predict how your body will react to the procedure and medications.
5. Establish if you have the psychological strength, motivation and personal support to meet the challenges of transplantation.

The evaluation consists of both physical tests and psychological assessments. If you are not already hospitalized, most tests can be done as an outpatient. Expect an evaluation to last from X to X days and results to take X days. We will also assist you with a financial evaluation.

Physical Testing

The typical transplant evaluation emphasizes but are not limited to an assessment of your cardiac, vascular, respiratory, renal (kidney) and immune systems. Transplant evaluation tests may include:

• Mutiple blood tests
• Skin tests to find out how your immune system reacts to certain germs
• Chest x-rays to check for respiratory tract problems and show heart size
• Holter monitor
• Electrocardiogram
• Echocardiogram
• Carotid and extremity vascular testing
• A Nuclear Cardiology Ventricular Function Study called a MUGA test
• Right- and left-heart catheterization
• Pulmonary (lung) function tests
• Renal (kidney) function studies
• Dental exam -- all dental repairs must be completed before you are placed on the transplant waiting list
• Ultrasound evaluation of the heart, abdomen, neck and leg arteries
• CT scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis to checks for tumors
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) may be used in place of a CT scan
• Bone scan
• Endoscopy to test for the presence of ulcers, which invite infection and will be aggravated by post-transplant meds
• Physical condition evaluation

Psychological Testing

This evaluation is done to provide insight on how well you can be expected to function with lifestyle changes, the stress of the waiting period, the surgery and recovery process and the long-term regimen of medications and tests. This is also the time when we can begin to talk about your support network, building coping strategies and helping you decide how committed you are to the process.

Financial/Insurance Evaluation

The cost of a transplant varies depending on whether you need to be hospitalized or have specialized treatment, like mechanical devices. At its least, it's still an expensive process. While Medicare and many private insurers cover heart transplantation, some people must use their own money or find other sources of funding. This assessment is done to help you put an economic plan together.