Surgery
While you wait for your transplant, you will carry a beeper or a cell phone. When a heart becomes available, a nurse coordinator will contact you and instruct you on next steps. You will be admitted to the hospital and the transplant staff will guide you in your preparation for surgery.
The surgery can take several hours, depending on the patient’s medical condition and previous surgeries. After surgery, the patient goes to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). The expected length of hospital stay for an uncomplicated heart transplant is 14 days depending on your rate of recovery.
