The challenge of performing three heart transplantations in one day

Heart transplantation procedures, which present a number of challenges not generally seen in perioperative nursing practice, provide important knowledge for perioperative nurses because they demonstrate the importance of organization, communication, collaboration, and resourcefulness among surgical team members. On Friday, Aug 13, 1993, the Virginia Heart Center at Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, implanted donor hearts in three adult recipients in a single day. The day was even more challenging because of elective coronary artery bypass graft procedures performed on three other patients. Successful response to the demands of Aug 13 was facilitated by the presence of skilled, versatile, cardiovascular OR staff members.