If you need to contact the transplant unit before you arrive (night or day), call 612-273-3062.

The call to come in for transplant

The transplant operation

Recovering in the hospital

Leaving the hospital

The call to come in for transplant
When an organ becomes available, you will get a call from a transplant coordinator at University of Minnesota Medical Center. Calls like this can come any time, day or night, so be sure to answer your phone.

The coordinator will ask you to come to the hospital as quickly (and safely) as possible. Please be sure to:

• Get the coordinator’s name and phone number.
• Say what time you expect to arrive at the hospital.
• Ask if you should stop any of your medicines. If you take insulin for diabetes, ask what to do about your insulin.
• Stop all foods and liquids. If you have taken insuin, you may eat hard candy or drink glucose fluids (juice, regular soda pop) to prevent low blood glucose.
• Pack all the items on your packing list.
• Bring a support person with you to the hospital.

If your arrival time changes or other problems occur, call 612-273-3000. Ask us to page the on-call thoracic coordinator.

When you arrive at the hospital, please stop at the Admissions Department, unless you are told otherwise. They will direct you to the Transplant Unit. Once you are admitted, we will prepare you for surgery. Once you are admitted, we will do blood tests and prepare you for surgery.

Your support person or family can stay with you until it is time to go to the operating room. We will then direct them to the waiting area on the third floor. After your surgery, the doctors will meet them there.

The transplant operation
Lung transplants take about six to eight hours. Heart-lung transplants take about eight to 12 hours.

A nurse coordinator will be with you before and during your surgery. He or she will give you emotional support and keep you family informed.

You will have the following incisions:

• Single-lung patients: We will cut along your side and back. We may need to remove a rib.
• Bilateral transplants (receiving two lungs): We will cut across the rib cage and breastbone.
• Heart-lung transplant: We will cut down the breastbone.

Recovering in the hospital
After surgery, you will be taken to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). You will stay there until you are stable and can breathe on your own. Visiting hours are limited. Please ask your nurse for more information.

You may be slow to wake up after surgery. We will give you medicine to control pain and help you relax. You will find that several tubes were placed in your body during surgery.

• Endotracheal (breathing) tube: You will have a tube in your throat to help you breathe. It may be uncomfortable, but we will give you medicine to help you relax. You cannot talk while the tube is in your mouth. The doctors will remove the tube when your lungs are working well and you are awake enough to breathe on your own. Some people do not even remember having this tube in place, because of the medicines given for relaxation.
• Chest tubes: Chest tubes will be placed to help drain fluid from your chest. You will have the tubes for a few days.
• Foley catheter (urinary tube): This tube drains the urine from your bladder. It is important to monitor your urine output and kidney function carefully.
• Intravenous (IV) lines: You will have many IV lines, including a "central line." This tube is placed in a large vein in your neck. We use it to give medicines, fluids and blood transfusions. It is also used to take blood samples and check fluid pressures in the body.
• Nasogastric (NG) tube: This helps keep your stomach empty so you don’t get nauseated (feel sick to your stomach). During surgery, the tube is placed in the nose and goes down into your stomach. It will stay in place until you can pass gas.

The Step-down Unit
Once you are stable and your breathing tube has been removed, we will move you to the Step-down Unit. You will be in a private room.
We will draw blood for tests daily. You will also have X-rays.

You will learn about your medicines and how to take care of yourself. You and your support person(s) will be required to attend transplant classes. Your nurse will schedule these for you. Please bring the transplant handbook you received during your evaluation. This provides general information and a place to write your lab results.

Your nurse will work closely with you as you learn. By the time you go home you will know how to take your medicines, record your lab values, check your blood pressure and more. Once you go home, you will need to keep track of your lab values, blood pressures, daily weights, and blood sugars. Please bring your lab book to all clinic visits.

Leaving the hospital
Expect to be in the hospital for at least two weeks. Some people stay longer. If you were very sick before your transplant, you may move to a care facility or rehabilitation unit for a short time.

After leaving the hospital, you will need to stay in the Twin Cities area for two to three months. During this time, you will come to the clinic often. Bring your medicine card and lab book to each visit.