Each year within the walls of the QEII Health Sciences Centre, eight to 12 people receive a new heart through a transplant procedure. Just like that, these people are given a new start and a chance to live life again to the fullest. But before that life altering procedure can happen, many precise, vital steps are taken to ensure the best outcome possible.  

Once a donor heart is identified as available, a team checks to make sure the heart is functioning well by doing an echocardiogram and an angiogram. Blood work is also done and potential factors such family history, age of the donor and history of smoking is all taken into account to make sure the heart is healthy to transplant.

The team in the cardiology department at the QEII Health Sciences Centre, which has the only transplant clinic in the Atlantic Provinces, then turns to the heart transplant wait list to find a recipient. “The only absolute factor in finding a recipient is the blood type of the donor and the blood type of the recipient must match,” explains surgeon Dr. Imtiaz Ali.  

Once a recipient is identified, communication and timing is critical. The moment the retrieval of the donor heart begins, there is a four to six hour window of safe time for the completion of surgery. To transport the donor heart, the heart is triple bagged in cold saline solution and placed in a plastic container surrounded by ice.

“Following transplant surgery, patients usually spend two or three days in ICU, followed by eight to 14 days in hospital,” explains Dr. Ali. “Once the patient is ready for discharge, the heart transplant team, including both cardiology and surgery, ensures all is in order before the patient goes home to lead a normal life. The patient is required to take anti-rejection medications indefinitely and is followed on a regular basis through the Heart Transplant Clinic”.