The transplant team works together to coordinate every facet of the transplant procedure from organ procurement and transport to the surgical procedure and family support. The team tracks every aspect of the patient's care throughout the process, and oversees every strategic detail.

 

Once a compatible donor organ becomes available, the patient is notified and is admitted to Inova Fairfax Hospital for a stay that lasts an average of about two weeks. Following surgery, the patient is cared for in the 18-bed cardiovascular ICU. Eventually, the patient is transferred to a private room in a unit where staff members are experienced in the care of transplant patients.

 

During the recovery period, the transplant team teaches the transplant recipient what to expect during the recuperation period and once discharged from the hospital. Teaching includes information about the patient's immunosuppressive medications and how to monitor progress when he/she returns home.