Transplant Center : Heart Transplants : Heart Transplant - What to Expect

When the time comes for the heart transplant, patients can expect:

• A four- to six-hour operation, not including pre-operative preparation or post-operative recovery
• A chest scar
• Eating and walking within one to two days
• Seven to ten days in the hospital – our length of stay is among the shortest, designed to reduce the risk of infection
• ­­Six to eight weeks in local accommodations with a caregiver

Our goal at MUSC Transplant Center is to provide the patient and family with key information about the pre-transplant evaluation and listing process, transplant surgery and post-transplant care so the patient can make an informed decision about transplant and successfully participate in their post-transplant care.

The information will be provided before wait list placement and again before transplant surgery. Patients are asked to review and sign a patient acknowledgement form, indicating they have reviewed and understand all of the key information.