If you have received a referral for heart transplant evaluation, we are ready to help. The experienced, compassionate team in Penn Medicine's Heart Transplant Program provides a comprehensive evaluation to assess your health, support network and finances. We make sure you understand heart transplant criteria, the transplantation process and how it may affect your life. Together, we determine the best path forward to meet your individual needs.
Heart Transplant Requirements and Qualifications
We evaluate you individually to determine if you meet the heart transplant candidate requirements. It is essential that you follow through with the required testing and attend all of your appointments.
Heart transplant criteria we use to determine eligibility include:
- Age: You should be under age 70.
- Financial support: You must have health insurance. If you are uninsured, we can help you obtain coverage.
- Overall health: Some health conditions might prevent or delay a heart transplant, such as active cancer, uncontrolled diabetes, obesity, or current alcohol or drug abuse.
- Support system: You will need help after your heart transplant. We help you identify people who can support you during recovery.
Even if you think you may not qualify, we encourage you to apply. The evaluation team may be able to work with you and your healthcare providers to help you become eligible.
Heart Transplant Candidate Referral and Evaluation
Heart transplant evaluation is a detailed, multistep process:
Referral
The first step in the heart transplant process is a referral from your heart failure specialist. If your doctor is not in the Penn Heart Failure Program, you will see a Penn heart failure specialist who sends us a referral.
Before we schedule testing, our financial coordinator obtains authorization from your insurance company for the evaluation. We also review your case to identify any health concerns that may affect your eligibility.
Education
Education is an essential component of your heart transplant journey. During your evaluation, we help you understand what transplant is and what to expect after surgery so you can decide if it is the right choice for you. Later, you and your caregivers will learn how to take care of yourself and your new heart.
Your evaluation includes a brief education session. Each specialist you meet with also shares important information about the different aspects of heart transplant. They are available to answer any questions you have — just ask.
Medical Tests
During your evaluation you meet with a medical team that includes nurse practitioners, heart failure/transplant physicians and transplant surgeons. They perform a detailed review of your clinical condition and assess whether you are likely to have a positive outcome with heart transplant.
We perform as many tests as possible during your two-day evaluation, but we may schedule some tests separately. You may also need follow-up testing if your results raise any concerns.
Tests you may receive include:
- Blood type and antibody testing to find a compatible organ match
- Cancer screenings, such as breast cancer screening and colonoscopy, to ensure you are cancer-free
- Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan to check your bone density
- Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) testing to measure your kidney function
- Hemoglobin A1C testing to check for diabetes
- Imaging tests, such as X-rays, ultrasounds and CT scans, to evaluate your organs and blood vessels
- Pulmonary function test to measure how well your lungs are working
- Right heart cardiac catheterization to assess the pressures in your lungs
- Vaccine titers to check your immunity against vaccine-preventable diseases
Meetings with Specialists
Your initial evaluation includes meetings with other specialists, including:
- Financial coordinator: Reviews your insurance and finances and talks about the financial aspects of receiving a heart transplant
- Nutritionist: Evaluates your diet and discusses the role nutrition plays in heart health
- Pharmacist: Explains the medications you will take after transplant
- Social worker: Assesses your background, social support system, substance use and mental health history
Determining If You Are Eligible for a Heart Transplant
The multispecialty heart transplant team meets weekly to review heart transplant cases. They analyze your test results and assessments and decide your next steps. The possible outcomes of the evaluation include:
- Approval: You can move forward to the heart transplant waiting list.
- Denial: You are not eligible for a heart transplant.
- Not eligible at this time: You may need to complete additional testing or address concerns the transplant team has about your health.
Evaluation for Dual-Organ Transplant
If you have conditions that affect your lungs, liver or kidneys in addition to your heart, you may be eligible for a dual-organ transplant. The Penn Transplant Institute is one of the few centers in the U.S. that offers all three types of dual-organ transplants, heart-lung, heart-liver and heart-kidney.
To determine your eligibility for a dual-organ transplant, you receive separate evaluations for each transplant program.
What If You Are Not Eligible for a Heart Transplant?
If the selection team determines you do not meet the requirements for a heart transplant, you may have other options, including:
- Continuing your current medical therapy or starting a new heart failure medication
- Ventricular assist device
- Second opinion at another transplant center
- Palliative care
How Long Does the Heart Transplant Evaluation Process Take?
We schedule your initial tests over two days. Test results, follow-up testing and review may take several weeks.
The average time for a heart transplant evaluation is 30 to 90 days. For patients who are critically ill and in the hospital, we speed up the evaluation and typically make a decision within five to seven days.
We understand you may feel anxious as you undergo testing and wait for the decision. Let your team know what you are feeling and how we can help. Learn more about heart transplant support services.
Heart Transplant Evaluation: What to Expect at Penn Medicine
Heart transplant is a complex procedure that requires a highly trained and coordinated team. The multidisciplinary specialists in the Penn Heart Transplant Program are nationally recognized as experts in their fields.
When you choose Penn Medicine for your heart transplant evaluation, you can expect:
- Coordinated care: During your evaluation, you see many specialists. Our nurse coordinators and social workers are your constant points of contact and make sure the process proceeds smoothly.
- Efficient appointments: We value your time and consolidate your initial appointments into two days at the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine and Pavilion hospital.
- In-depth testing and assessments: You receive a range of laboratory tests, medical imaging tests and one-on-one assessments to evaluate your complete health. This detailed information helps us ensure you have the best chance for a successful heart transplant.
- Personalized education: Our evaluation team understands you and your family may have many questions. We provide different ways for you to learn and ample opportunities to ask questions.
- Expertise in complex and high-risk cases: Our deep experience allows us to evaluate patients who have been turned away at other transplant centers or who need dual-organ transplants.
- Comfortable accommodations: You'll find a homelike atmosphere at the Clyde F. Barker Penn Transplant House, our low-cost guest house located blocks away from the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
A Race Against Time: How a Quick Decision Saved Alin's Life
Alin was only 30 when she developed shortness of breath. A trip to the ER showed she could have pneumonia, but her attending physician decided she should stay overnight. That night Alin went into heart failure and eleven days later, she was on the heart transplant waiting list. Read Alin's story and how that quick decision saved her life.
Make an Appointment
Please call 800-789-7366 or request a callback.