A heart transplant is a procedure in which a diseased heart is removed and replaced with a donor heart. A heart transplant is considered when heart failure is so severe that it can no longer meet even the smallest pumping demands and all other therapies, including medications and mechanical devices to assist the heart, have failed. At this point, transplantation becomes the only option. In some cases, a patient awaiting heart transplant surgery may need the insertion of the TandemHeart system. This short-term external blood pump acts as a ‘bridge’ system, giving the patient some extra time prior to the surgery for the heart to rest and the patient’s condition to stabilize.

During the operation, the patient is placed on a heart-lung machine. The heart-lung bypass machine does the work of your heart and lungs so that all the parts of your body still receive the oxygen-rich blood they need to survive while highly skilled surgeons work to replace the diseased heart. A heart transplant operation can last from three to six hours or longer.

The post-operative care on 9 East is enhanced by experienced nurses with extensive skills in caring for patients after heart transplantation. Patients can also expect to receive powerful medications called immunosuppressants that work to prevent the body from rejecting the heart.