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Medical Treatment

Once you have received your new heart or lung, you will undergo many different tests at the transplant center.

• Your blood pressure and lung function will be checked often for signs of organ rejection or side effects of medications.
  
  
• You will be checked for new cancers, which can be related to the immune-suppressing drugs you take to fight rejection. Skin cancers are the most common in transplant individuals.
  
  
• You will learn about healthy lifestyle choices to reduce your risk of future heart and lung disease.
  
  
• Blood tests will be done to monitor for medication complications, signs of infection, or rejection.
  
  
• You will undergo repeated cardiac biopsies and cardiac catheterizations to monitor for early signs of rejection and blocked coronary arteries. 
  
  
• Lung recipients will undergo lung function tests and bronchoscopy to monitor lung function and signs of rejection.