Heart Transplant Surgery Frequently Asked Questions

Your doctor can refer you, or you can refer yourself to the UPMC Heart Transplant Program.

Contact the UPMC Heart Transplant Program It lists all the data you or your doctor need to provide for referral to the program.

Fax the completed data sheet to UPMC through a secure e-fax line at 412-864-5913.

Each insurance plan is different.

Your UPMC heart transplant credit analyst and social worker will help you discern what parts of your care your insurance will cover.

The cost of a heart transplant can vary from person to person, depending on many factors.

If you wish to discuss estimated cost, we'll give you contact information for patient business services and a heart transplant credit analyst.

The UPMC Heart Transplant Program does not have an upper age limit for heart transplants.

We consider all potential heart transplant candidates on a case-by-case basis.

We think about the risks and benefits for each person separately. Age is just one of many factors.

You must be nicotine-free for at least four months before you can have a heart transplant exam and testing.

To get on the waiting list for a heart transplant, you must be nicotine-free for six months.

This includes all forms of nicotine:

• Cigarettes
• Cigars
• Smokeless tobacco
• E-cigarettes
• Patches, gum, or any other form of pharmaceutical nicotine

Yes. The UPMC Heart Transplant Program will consider you for a heart transplant even if another center turned you down. Our experts review each case we receive.

We can often look at your test results from other medical centers. But, our doctors and the rest of the transplant team will still need to assess you.

Outpatient heart transplant exams and tests take about a week to complete.

These tests give the transplant team complete data on the functions of your heart, lungs, and other bodily systems. They also help the team decide if you’re a good fit for transplant.

Besides consults with your heart transplant team and tests, you might also have a learning session.

No. You must bring a caregiver to all of your visits to the UPMC Heart Transplant Program.

The heart transplant exams and tests are physically demanding. It can be hard for someone with heart disease to get from one appointment, test, or location without help.

You'll need to have a main caregiver and a back-up to help you through your heart transplant journey.

Your caregivers can be a:

• Spouse
• Sibling
• Child
• Neighbor
• Friend

No, but you need to be able to get to UPMC within four hours once you're on the heart transplant waiting list.

Many people drive, but some arrange private flights to Pittsburgh. Your UPMC Heart Transplant Program social worker can give you details about flights.

Heart transplant waiting list times are hard to predict and highly variable — from one day to over a year.

Some factors that affect your wait time for a heart include your:

• Health status
• Size
• Blood type

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) assigns a status to each person on the heart transplant wait list.

Placement on the heart transplant waiting list will be accordance to specific criteria met for status levels 1 through 6: 

Status 1 - 3: Most often hospitalized in ICU to support their heart.

Status 4: This group is often at home but may need IV medications or ventricular assist device (VAD) to support their heart 

Status 6: This group includes all others who are stable enough to remain home while they wait for a heart. 

Issues that may restrict you from having a heart transplant include:

• Certain health problems that increase your risk for complications during and after heart transplant surgery. Health issues include active cancer — or a history of cancer — and blood vessel disease.
• The inability to comply with a complex medical regimen.

Most people stay in the hospital for about 10 to 14 days after a heart transplant. Some people need to stay longer.

We ask that you stay close to UPMC for at least a month after transplant surgery, depending on your recovery. You must have a dedicated caregiver living with you at all times.

For the first four weeks, you will come to the UPMC Heart Transplant Program once a week for biopsies.

Then, if your recovery is going well, your appointments for the first year after your heart transplant will follow this schedule:

• Every other week in month 2.
• Once a month during months 3 to 6.
• Every other month until 12 months.

You will not be able to drive for about six weeks after heart transplant surgery. You will need to have a caregiver with you for the first few months to help you run errands.

To learn more about a heart transplant for your child:

• Visit the Pediatric Heart and Lung Transplant Program at UPMC Children‘s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
• Call the Heart Transplant Program at Children's at 412-692-5541.