- How do I schedule my evaluation?
- How is my care coordinated between my primary care physician and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center?
- Who comprises my transplant team?
- How much does a transplant cost, and how do I pay for my transplant?
- What happens at my evaluation appointment?
- How long is the evaluation period?
- What is UNOS, and how does it affect me?
- What are my options for transplantation?
- Who will coordinate my care before and after my transplant?
- How do I prepare for my transplant surgery?
- What are the risks of transplant surgery?
- What will happen immediately after surgery?
- How long will I be hospitalized following my transplant surgery?
- Who will coordinate my healthcare needs after leaving the hospital?
- How do I care for myself after leaving the hospital?
- What medications will I be expected to take?
- What are the complications of transplantation?
- What is the survival rate of transplant recipients?
The entire transplant process is a coordinated effort between your present doctor and our team. Your doctor should determine when a referral is appropriate. If you have personal concerns regarding your health and think you need to be evaluated for transplantation, you should discuss this concern with your physician.
After your physician contacts our office, our staff will contact you to collect more information in order to arrange an evaluation.
We consider your physician part of our transplant team. We make all effort to keep your physician informed of your progress throughout the transplant process. Depending upon your insurance, you may find that much of the transplant evaluation and testing is performed through your doctor's office. If you have not already been seen by the appropriate specialist, we will work with your doctor to make sure that the right doctors are located.
The entire team consists of your doctor and our program.
Your care is guided by a nurse coordinator who has undergone extensive training in organ transplantation. Transplant medical doctors and surgeons who are UNOS certified will be managing your care. In addition, experienced physicians in other fields - including lung, heart, brain, infectious diseases - are available as needed. These specialists have years of experience tending to the needs of transplant patients.
Our team also includes a psychiatrist and medical social worker to help with the emotional and psychological stresses that may accompany an illness requiring an organ transplant. A dietitian is available to help address your specific nutritional needs. We also have a dedicated transplant pharmacist, who is your resource for medication-related questions.
We have group of financial coordinators who are specially trained to handle the unique and complex financial issues of organ transplantation. They interface with your insurance company to make the process as trouble free as possible. They are also your resource if you need your financial benefits explained.
Finally, we have a large group of dedicated support staff focused upon serving your needs and assisting your team of healthcare providers.
Transplantation is a complex process involving many highly trained professionals who remain available to you 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Accordingly, the process can be quite expensive but not impossible. Our financial coordinators are there to help guide you through the insurance paperwork and are a resource if you need help understanding your insurance benefits.
Additionally, you should proactively contact your health insurance representative to find out the benefits you are entitled to.
The evaluation appointment is actually a series of appointments with doctors, nurses and healthcare workers. Our nurse coordinators will arrange for a session with our medical specialists, transplant surgeons, medical social workers and other members of the team. You will also meet with our psychiatrist. Depending upon your health needs, you may be seeing specialists regarding your heart, lungs and other specialties.
Your medical needs and the requirements of your insurance coverage will dictate whether or not you will be seen by our psychiatrist and specialists. If you already have a specialist physician, we will make all efforts to have you seen by the doctor you already know and trust.
You will also need to undergo a number of blood tests and radiology examinations. Again, what tests and where you have the tests performed are dependent upon your health situation and insurance company's requirements.
Finally, you will have an orientation session with our nurse coordinators, where you will learn specifics regarding the organ transplant process and receive an introduction of what to expect when an organ becomes available to you.
The length of time required to complete an evaluation is quite variable and dependent upon your individual health situation. For patients who are critically ill and in the hospital, the evaluation period may be short as a day. For an outpatient evaluation, the time required depends upon the number of specialists involved and the number of tests that have to be performed.
UNOS is the United Network for Organ Sharing. The federal government, through the Department of Health and Human Services, has contracted UNOS to oversee organ allocation in the United States.
UNOS affects you directly by establishing the rules governing organ allocation. They make sure that organs are distributed in the fairest manner possible. They also make sure that all the organ transplant centers in the United States follow the rules.
Transplantation relies totally upon the generosity of others. A family must be generous enough to donate organs from a deceased loved one, or a living person must be generous enough to allow a surgeon to remove an organ - or part of one - from their body.
Your specific options are unique for you. Once you have completed the evaluation process, we will discuss your specific options with you.
The role of our nurse coordinators is to coordinate your care, provide patient education, provide emotional support and answer all of your questions. Our coordinators will be your main resource before, during and after your transplant.
Most importantly, you should not be afraid to ask questions. Few people - even doctors - know and understand the process of transplantation, unless they have lived through or trained in this medical field. Knowledge is power, and learning as much as you can about your organ transplant is the best preparation.
Furthermore, staying as active as possible, eating healthily and following your doctor's advice are all important in preparing for any surgery. Our doctors and dietitian will help guide you in preparing for your operation.
As with all surgeries, there are risks of complications during and after the transplant. Your risk, however, depends upon your disease. Nobody can guarantee a perfect ending, but we are proud of our low rate of complications and superior outcomes when compared to the national average. For your specific situation, you will need to discuss the possible risks with the transplant surgeon during the evaluation and when he sees you the day of surgery.
After surgery you will be taken either to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit or Nursing Unit, where you will receive medications to control the discomfort, protect your new organ and protect you from infection and other problems. Your doctor will determine if you need the aid of a breathing device and for how long. Usually it takes a few days before your doctors have an idea as to how long you will need to stay in the hospital before going home to continue your recovery.
The time needed in the hospital depends upon how sick you are at the time of surgery and how well you recover after surgery.
Our nurse coordinators are your main resource before, during and after your transplant. They will arrange for your follow-up visits, communicate with your doctors and work with our financial coordinators, medical social workers and dietitian for any specific needs that you have.
Preparing for your transplant also involves preparing for after the transplant surgery. As part of the transplant-evaluation process, you will need to identify family and friends who will help you after leaving the hospital. We will suggest resources to help with your medical needs after going home from the hospital.
The particular medicines and the amount you take are specific to your special needs. In the hospital, the staff will give your medicines to you. You will be taught about your medications and dosing prior to going home. As we follow you after the transplant surgery, we will be adjusting the dose and maybe even the type of medicine you are being given.
Generally, you will be on medicines to prevent your immune system from attacking (rejecting) your new organ. You will also take medicines to prevent infections and other medicines to offset the complications of your organ-protecting drugs.
Finally, you may even go home on some of the medicines you were taking before the transplant. This may happen if your body needs time to adjust after being sick for so long or if your new organ needs time to adjust to you!
One of the possible complications is that the new organ does not work or that your body rejects the organ. Rejection occurs because your body sees the new organ as a foreigner and wants to get rid of it. Your doctors are well versed in this problem and have medications to prevent and fight it.
Infections are another common problem because the medication used to protect your new organ also makes it easier for bacteria and viruses to overcome your natural protection. We can prescribe medication to prevent this problem.
During the evaluation process, our staff will educate you on other complications that may occur, how to identify symptoms of a problem and the possible outcomes of the problems.
We are very proud of the high quality of care that we deliver. This has enabled us to consistently rank above the national average in patient outcomes. This success is by design. We have a dedicated team of nationally recognized physicians with equally qualified nurses, clinical specialists and support staff to provide you with the highest quality of compassionate care.
