Recovery, care, and life after heart transplant

Recovery from heart transplant is the first step into your new life. Our team is at your side, helping you live the fullest and healthiest life possible with your new heart.

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Your heart transplant care journey with Penn Medicine

Heart transplant surgery is the start of a long journey of care. After you wake up from surgery and for the rest of your life after transplant, our team at the Penn Medicine heart transplant program monitors your health closely and provides constant support.

We cherish the relationships we develop with our patients. Over our time together, we get to know you personally and help you celebrate life’s milestones.

Recovering from heart transplant surgery

After a serious illness and time spent on the heart transplant waiting list, receiving a transplant can be a relief. Your lifelong care with your new heart starts with recovery from heart transplant surgery. While your medical team looks after your physical health, our social workers are available with emotional support and resources that can help you transition back to living at home.

In general, you’ll be up and walking a few days after surgery and can leave the hospital in 10 to 14 days. Most people feel healthy enough to resume normal activities within six months.

The steps of heart transplant recovery include:

Managing risks after heart transplant surgery

Rejection of a transplanted heart is the most serious risk as you move forward after surgery. We keep a close eye on you from the minute your transplant is complete to minimize the risk of rejection and other complications, such as:

  • Allograph vasculopathy: This hardening and narrowing of the arteries that feed the heart can be detected with a yearly stress test.
  • Immunosuppressant side effects: The medications that help prevent organ rejection can cause kidney damage, increase your risk of developing certain cancers, and decrease your ability to fight infection.
  • Primary graft failure: This serious complication happens right after a heart transplant. We prioritize monitoring in the CICU to look for signs of primary graft failure.
  • Rejection of the donor heart: Your immune system may recognize your donor heart as foreign and try to reject it. We conduct regular heart biopsies to detect rejection.

What happens if a heart transplant is rejected?

If a heart biopsy detects signs of heart transplant rejection, we offer the most advanced treatment options to halt the rejection process. You may receive a higher dose of your current immunosuppression medication or a different type, and we have specialized treatments for more severe cases.

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