Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Our Services >
  • Transplant Services >
  • ... >
  • Heart Transplant >
  • Transplant Journey >
  • Frequently Asked Questions
Transplant Services
About Us
Heart Transplant
Who is a Candidate?
Video Series
Transplant Journey
Before Your Transplant
Heart Transplant Waiting List
Your Transplant Surgery
After Your Transplant
Frequently Asked Questions
Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs)
Your Transplant Team
Patient Stories
Contact Us
Intestinal Transplant
Kidney Transplant
Liver Transplant
Lung Transplant
Pancreas Transplant
Multi-Organ Transplant
Patient Resources
Pediatric Transplant
Referring a Patient
Become a Living Donor
Your Transplant Team
Request an Appointment
Transplant Services
About Us
Heart Transplant
Who is a Candidate?
Video Series
Transplant Journey
Before Your Transplant
Heart Transplant Waiting List
Your Transplant Surgery
After Your Transplant
Frequently Asked Questions
Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs)
Your Transplant Team
Patient Stories
Contact Us
Intestinal Transplant
Kidney Transplant
Liver Transplant
Lung Transplant
Pancreas Transplant
Multi-Organ Transplant
Patient Resources
Pediatric Transplant
Referring a Patient
Become a Living Donor
Your Transplant Team
Request an Appointment

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

Heart Transplant Surgery Frequently Asked Questions

Download the UPMC Heart Transplant Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) PDF.

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.

Contact the UPMC Heart Transplant Program

To contact the UPMC Heart Transplant Program, please call 412-648-6202 or toll-free at 844-548-4591. You can also fill out the UPMC Heart Transplant Program contact form to make an appointment or refer a patient.

UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login