Pre- and Post-Transplant Tests

Established in 1981, UPMC's transplant program has performed more than 20,000 adult and pediatric organ transplant surgery procedures, including liver, kidney, kidney/pancreas, pancreas, intestine (small bowel), liver/intestine, heart, heart-lung, double-lung, single-lung, and multiple-organ transplants. Our team offers comprehensive pre- and posttransplant testing to reduce the risk of complications.

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Pretransplant Tests

Pre-heart transplant tests

Bilateral lower extremity Doppler and carotid Doppler — Checks for blood clots and narrowed or blocked arteries that supply blood to your legs and brain.
Blood work — Checks for signs of infection or illness.
Chest x-ray — Looks for signs of heart damage, lung disorders, or other health problems.
Echocardiogram — Uses ultrasound waves to create detailed images of your heart.
Electrocardiogram (EKG) — Measures your heartbeat and your heart's electrical activity (rhythm).
Heart (cardiac) catheterization — Shows blockages, reduced blood flow, and other problems within your arteries.
Mammogram or Pap smear for women— Checks for signs of breast or cervical cancer.
Exercise stress test — Shows how well your heart and lungs work during exercise.
Pulmonary function tests — Measure how well your lungs work.
Ultrasound of the abdomen/pelvis — Uses sound waves to create images of the organs and structures in your abdomen and pelvis to check for signs of disease.

Pre-intestinal transplant tests

CT scans of the head, chest, and abdomen — CT scans create images of the bones, organs, structures, and tissues inside your body.
Colonoscopy — Allows your doctor to examine the inside of your colon using a thin, flexible tube with a light and a camera called a colonoscope.
Exercise stress test — Shows how well your heart and lungs work during exercise.
Blood tests — Check for signs of infection or illness.
Heart (cardiac) catheterization — Shows blockages, reduced blood flow, and other problems within your arteries.
Mammogram or Pap smear for women — Checks for signs of breast or cervical cancer.
Pulmonary function testing — Measures how well your lungs work.
Endoscopy — Allows your doctor to examine the inside of your esophagus and stomach using a thin, flexible tube with a light and a camera called an endoscope.
Motility studies — Show how well food and liquids move through your gastrointestinal tract.
X-rays of the upper GI tract and small bowel — Create images of your esophagus, stomach, and small bowel to check for abnormalities.

Pre-kidney transplant tests

Blood work — Checks for signs of infection or illness.
Chest x-ray — Looks for signs of heart damage, lung disorders, or other health problems.
Colonoscopy — Allows your doctor to examine the inside of your colon using a thin, flexible tube with a light and a camera called a colonoscope.
CT, MRI, or ultrasound scans of your abdomen/pelvis — Create images of organs, tissues, and structures inside your body to check for abnormalities.
Electrocardiogram (EKG) — Measures your heartbeat and your heart's electrical activity (rhythm).
Exercise stress test — Shows how well your heart and lungs work during exercise.
Mammogram or Pap smear for women — Checks for signs of breast or cervical cancer.
Urinalysis — Checks how well your kidneys are working.

Pre-liver transplant tests

Blood work — Checks for signs of infection or illness.
Chest x-ray — Looks for signs of heart damage, lung disorders, or other health problems.
Colonoscopy — Allows your doctor to examine the inside of your colon using a thin, flexible tube with a light and a camera called a colonoscope.
CT, MRI, or ultrasound scans of your abdomen/pelvis — Creates images of organs, tissues, and structures inside your body to check for abnormalities.
Electrocardiogram (EKG) — Measures your heartbeat and your heart's electrical activity (rhythm).
Mammogram or Pap smear for women— Checks for signs of breast or cervical cancer.
Stress echocardiogram — Uses ultrasound waves to create detailed images of your heart to see how it works at rest and under stress. If you are unable to exercise, your doctor may use medication to make your heart work harder, similar to how it functions during exercise.

Pre-lung transplant tests

Barium swallow — Uses a special contrast dye to identify abnormalities in your esophagus and upper gastrointestinal tract.
Bilateral lower extremity Doppler and carotid Doppler — Checks for blood clots and narrowed or blocked arteries that supply blood to your legs and brain.
Blood work — Checks for signs of infection or illness.
Chest x-ray — Looks for signs of heart damage, lung disorders, or other health problems.
Desaturation studies — Measure blood oxygen levels during activity or sleep.
Echocardiogram — Uses ultrasound waves to create detailed images of your heart.
Electrocardiogram (EKG) — Measures your heartbeat and your heart's electrical activity (rhythm).
Heart (cardiac) catheterization — Shows blockages, reduced blood flow, and other problems within your arteries.
Mammogram or Pap smear — Checks for signs of breast or cervical cancer.
Manometry — Involves inserting a thin, flexible tube with a light and a camera through your mouth and into your esophagus to examine how your gastrointestinal tract functions.
Pulmonary function tests — Measure how well your lungs work.
Six-minute walk test — Shows how well your heart and lungs work during exercise.
Sniff study — Uses real-time x-ray imaging to measure how your diaphragm moves when you take a quick inward breath, or “sniff.”
Ultrasound of the abdomen/pelvis — Uses sound waves to create images of the organs and structures in your abdomen and pelvis to check for signs of disease.
VQ scan — Looks at the air and blood flow in your lungs.

Pre-pancreas transplant tests

Blood work — Checks for signs of infection or illness.
Chest x-ray — Looks for signs of heart damage, lung disorders, or other health problems.
Colonoscopy — Allows your doctor to examine the inside of your colon using a thin, flexible tube with a light and a camera called a colonoscope.
CT, MRI, or ultrasound scans of your abdomen/pelvis — Create images of organs, tissues, and structures inside your body to check for abnormalities.
Electrocardiogram (EKG) — Measures your heartbeat and your heart's electrical activity (rhythm).
Exercise stress test — Shows how well your heart and lungs work during exercise.
Eye and dental exams — Look for problems associated with diabetes, such as diabetic retinopathy or gum disease.
Mammogram or Pap smear for women— Checks for signs of breast or cervical cancer.
Neurological tests — Check for loss of sensation or nerve damage in your hands or feet caused by diabetic neuropathy.
Urinalysis — Checks how well your kidneys are working.

Posttransplant Tests

Post-heart transplant tests

Biopsy — Checks for signs of rejection.
Blood tests — Check for signs of infection, rejection, or other illnesses and monitor medication levels.
Cardiac catheterization — Shows blockages, reduced blood flow, and other problems within your arteries.
Chest x-rays — Look for signs of heart damage, lung disorders, or other health problems.

Post-intestinal transplant tests

Biopsy — Checks for signs of rejection.
Blood tests — Check for signs of infection, rejection, or other illnesses and monitor medication levels.
CT scans and ultrasound — Check for problems with blood flow to your new intestine or other abnormalities.
Fluoroscopy — Uses real-time x-rays to check blood flow and look for signs of complications.

Post-kidney transplant tests

Biopsy — Checks for signs of rejection.
Blood tests — Check for signs of infection, rejection, or other illnesses and monitor medication levels.
Urinalysis — Checks for signs of kidney problems in a urine sample.

Post-liver transplant tests

Biopsy — Checks for signs of rejection.
Blood tests — Check for signs of infection, rejection, or other illnesses and monitor medication levels.
CT/MRI scans and ultrasound — Check for problems with blood flow to your new liver and ensure it is regenerating and functioning as expected.

Post-lung transplant tests

Biopsy — Checks for signs of rejection.
Blood work — Checks for signs of infection or illness.
Chest x-ray — Looks for signs of heart damage, lung disorders, or other health problems.
Desaturation studies — Measure blood oxygen levels during activity or sleep.
Pulmonary function tests — Measure how well your lungs work.
Six-minute walk test — Shows how well your heart and lungs work during exercise.
VQ scan — Looks at the air and blood flow in your lungs.

Post-pancreas transplant tests

Biopsy — Checks for signs of rejection.
Blood work — Checks for signs of infection or illness.
CT/MRI scans and ultrasounds — Check for problems with blood flow to your new intestine or other abnormalities.
Urinalysis — Checks how well your kidneys are working using a urine sample.

Why Choose UPMC for Transplant Care? 

When you choose UPMC for transplant care, you will receive:

Expert care from experienced providers — Established in 1981, UPMC's transplant program has performed more than 20,000 adult and pediatric organ transplant surgery procedures, including liver, kidney, kidney/pancreas, pancreas, intestine (small bowel), liver/intestine, heart, heart/lung, double-lung, single-lung, and multiple-organ transplants.
Access to a multidisciplinary team — We partner with a range of medical specialists to deliver comprehensive care that considers the physical, financial, social, and emotional impact of having a transplant.
Treatment for complex conditions — We are uniquely qualified to manage the most complex cases and use innovative matching techniques to help patients get off the waiting list more quickly. As a result, we can often accept cases that other centers have declined, helping more people get the care they need.

By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2025-12-09.