Heart Transplant Surgery

When heart failure cannot be managed through medications or devices, a patient may need a new heart. Dr. Attawar works with patients with end-stage heart failure and helps them live a long life. With experience in over 98 Heart and 37 Combined Heart-Double Lung transplants as of late 2021, Dr. Attawar is India’s leading Heart transplant surgeon. His team and he have a high level of experience and have operated on patients with a wide range of ages and underlying conditions.

In addition to surgical intervention, Dr. Attawar and his team will provide you and your family with extended support and education before your transplant and rehabilitation after it. They will also regularly follow up with you as you adjust to life with your new heart.

Pre-Surgery

Once you are accepted as a transplant candidate, you will be categorized on the basis of urgency. The highest priority goes to patients who are very sick and require constant monitoring equipment or mechanical devices to temporarily sustain heart function. The amount of time you will wait will depend on your listing status, blood type, and size (height and weight). Dr. Attawar’s team cardiologist will discuss the possible length of your wait with you. Depending on your condition, you may wait at home or in the hospital, although given that hearts are only viable within a short window of time after extraction, you may be asked to move near the hospital temporarily.

As soon as a donated heart becomes available, you will be contacted by the transplant coordinator and asked to arrive at the hospital. There is usually a several-hour wait between notification and the procedure during which time the team will review the procedure with you and update your medical history.

Surgery

During surgery, you will be sedated and special invasive lines will be placed into your body. A breathing tube and urinary catheter will also be placed in you. The surgery will begin with an incision in the midline of your chest. A heart-lung machine will take over the work of your heart and lungs. During this time, members of the team will be examining the donor heart to assess suitability. If it is deemed acceptable, it will be transported to your location and your heart will be replaced. The operation usually lasts around five or six hours but can run longer depending on whether you’ve previously had surgery or have a left ventricular assist device in place.

Recovery

Once the surgery is complete, you’ll be taken to the intensive care unit to recover. You’ll be on a breathing machine for six to eight hours as the effects of the anesthesia wear off. Once the breathing tube is removed, nurses and physical therapists will work with you to gradually raise your activity level.

Most patients stay in the ICU for four to six days, although this varies depending on the pace of your recovery. Once you are stable, you will be transferred into a private room in the Intermediate ICU. Once there, your family members can visit as much as they want and can even spend the night in the room with you. Your family is highly encouraged to spend as much time as possible at your bedside in the Intermediate ICU. This is where you and your caregivers will learn how to take care of your new heart. Your nurses and the transplant pharmacists will also teach you your new medication regimen.

Physical and occupational therapists will work with you to build up your strength and stamina. They will tell you about the safest and most effective ways to increase your activity after your hospital discharge. The transplant dietitian will educate you and your caregivers about proper nutrition related to various aspects of your transplant health. Your assigned social worker will work with you and your family to address coping, local housing, resources, and forms that may need to be completed.