Updates

Heart Transplant Program

 Life After Heart Transplant

Life after a heart transplant can be an exciting, yet overwhelming,  time for both child and family. Aside from routine visits with the heart transplant team, most children who have heart transplants go on to live active lives after the initial post-transplant phase. This includes normal school attendance and participation in typical childhood activities.

The improvement of your child’s health after the transplant can make a difference in your lifestyle, although the first few months can still be quite intense. Eventually, your child will feel better, and you’ll no longer need to focus on the same health problems faced before surgery. Your family will have the opportunity to do things together once again. Plan on needing some time to adjust to being out of the hospital and at home.

The transplant team will closely monitor your child’s progress on an outpatient basis. You’ll visit the outpatient clinic once a week for several weeks post-transplant. Your visits will decrease in frequency as you move further from the date of surgery. The frequency of your checkups depends on your progress. The heart transplant team will discuss this with you at each visit.

Learn more

Related Departments