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Heart and heart-lung transplantation
Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America
|March 1, 1992
Summary
Heart and heart-lung transplantation offer improved quality of life for end-stage disease patients. Careful patient selection, critical care nursing, and long-term surveillance are key to managing complications and ensuring recipient health.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Thoracic Surgery
- Transplant Medicine
Background:
- Heart and heart-lung transplantation are advancing fields.
- Increased experience allows treatment for more patients with end-stage heart and lung disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline the critical aspects of heart and heart-lung transplantation, including patient selection, perioperative care, and long-term management.
- To highlight the challenges and benefits associated with these complex procedures.
Main Methods:
- Review of current practices in heart and heart-lung transplantation.
- Emphasis on the role of the transplant team and critical care nurses.
- Discussion of common postoperative and long-term complications.
Main Results:
- Careful medical and psychosocial selection is crucial for successful outcomes.
- Postoperative complications include decreased cardiac output, respiratory dysfunction, rejection, and infection.
- Long-term complications such as graft atherosclerosis and obliterative bronchiolitis can limit survival.
Conclusions:
- Life-long immunosuppression and diligent medical surveillance are essential for recipient health.
- Despite challenges, heart and heart-lung transplantation significantly improve the quality of life for most recipients.