What To Expect During a Heart Transplant
Just before the heart transplant surgery, patients
will receive general anesthesia (that is, they're temporarily put to sleep).
A bypass machine is hooked up to the arteries and
veins of the heart. The machine pumps blood through the patient's lungs and
body while the diseased heart is removed and the donor heart is sewn into
place.
Heart Transplant
Figure A shows where
the diseased heart is cut for removal. Figure B shows where the transplanted
healthy heart is sutured (stitched) to the recipient's arteries and veins.
Heart transplant surgery usually takes about 4
hours. Patients often spend the first days after surgery in the intensive care
unit of the hospital. |