Which Tests Make Up a Heart Transplant Evaluation, and What the Transplant Team Looks For

The folder arrives before the first appointment. Inside: a printed schedule that runs across several days, a list of clinics with names you have never visited, and a note asking you to bring every pill bottle in the house. For many people with advanced heart failure, that folder is the first tangible sign that a heart transplant has moved from something a cardiologist mentioned once to something a team is seriously weighing.

Heart transplant evaluation tests are not a single exam you pass or fail. They are a structured review of the whole person, and the questions behind them are more interesting than the needle sticks. Is the heart really the limiting organ? Would a new heart survive in this body? Can the rest of the body tolerate years of immune-suppressing medicine? Is there enough support at home to carry the routine?

Knowing what each test is for tends to make the fatigue of evaluation week easier to bear. What follows is a plain-language map of the process, drawn from mainstream transplant guidance, with the caveat that every program has its own protocol and every final call rests with the treating team.

What heart transplant evaluation tests actually check, in plain language

Strip the process down and it answers three questions. First, is the heart failing badly enough, and in a way that other treatments cannot fix, that replacing it is reasonable? Second, would the rest of the body cope with major surgery and lifelong immunosuppression? Immunosuppression means medicines that quiet the immune system so it does not attack a donor organ. Third, are the practical and emotional supports in place to make daily transplant care sustainable?

Each test maps onto one of those questions. An echocardiogram, an ultrasound picture of the beating heart, shows how weakly the pumping chambers squeeze. A right heart catheterization, a thin tube threaded into the heart to measure pressures, tells the team how the lungs’ blood vessels have responded to years of backed-up pressure. A cardiopulmonary exercise test measures how much oxygen the body can use at peak effort, which is one of the most objective indicators of how limited a person truly is.

The whole-body checks answer the second question. Kidney and liver panels, lung function tests, screening for infections and cancers, a dental exam and a look at the blood vessels all ask the same thing in different ways: would this transplant be undermined by a problem elsewhere?

The third question falls to social workers, psychologists, pharmacists and dietitians. According to the Mayo Clinic, the evaluation team explicitly assesses a person’s willingness and ability to follow medical instructions and their support network, because a donor heart depends on daily medicine and frequent follow-up for years.

No single result decides the outcome. A transplant committee, a group of specialists who meet to review each case together, looks at the pattern across all of it.

Who is usually referred for evaluation, and who is asked to wait

Referral generally happens when heart failure has reached what clinicians call an advanced or end-stage phase: symptoms at rest or with minimal activity despite the best available medicines and devices. The NHS describes candidates as people with severe heart failure whose condition has not responded to other treatment and whose life is thought to be at risk without a new heart. Common underlying causes include cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle itself), coronary artery disease that has left the heart badly scarred, and, less often, valve disease, congenital heart defects present from birth, or dangerous rhythm problems that cannot be controlled.

Being referred is not the same as being listed. Some people are evaluated and told, in effect, that they are not yet sick enough. That sounds strange until you consider the trade-off: a transplant swaps one disease for the managed condition of living with a donor organ, and the team wants that trade to clearly favor the patient. Someone who is still stable on a mechanical pump or on optimized medication may be followed closely rather than listed.

Others are asked to wait because a fixable problem stands in the way. An active infection, a recent blood clot, uncontrolled diabetes, smoking or heavy alcohol use, or body weight that raises surgical risk can all lead to a pause while the issue is addressed. The Mayo Clinic lists an active infection, recent cancer, severe disease of another organ and an unwillingness or inability to make lifestyle changes among the factors that may make a transplant unsuitable.

A third group is offered a bridge instead. A left ventricular assist device (LVAD), an implanted pump that helps the main pumping chamber, can support someone while they wait or while a reversible barrier is treated. Whether to bridge, list or watch is a judgment for the team, made with the patient in the room.

Blood tests in a heart transplant evaluation: what the panels look for

Expect to give more blood than you thought a body could spare. The tubes serve several distinct purposes.

Matching. Blood type (ABO) must be compatible with a donor. Tissue typing identifies human leukocyte antigens (HLA), the protein markers on cells that the immune system uses to tell self from foreign. A panel reactive antibody (PRA) test measures how many pre-formed antibodies you already carry against common HLA types. People who have had blood transfusions, pregnancies or previous surgery with donor tissue may be “sensitized,” meaning more antibodies and a smaller pool of compatible donors. Johns Hopkins notes that these compatibility tests are a standard part of pre-transplant workups.

Infection screening. Panels typically look for HIV, hepatitis B and C, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus, toxoplasma and other organisms. Some infections do not rule a person out; the team simply needs to know in advance because immunosuppression can wake dormant viruses.

Organ function. Kidney tests such as creatinine and estimated filtration rate matter because several anti-rejection medicines are hard on the kidneys and because advanced heart failure itself starves them of blood flow. Liver enzymes and clotting studies check for congestion damage from a backed-up right heart.

General health. A full blood count, thyroid function, glucose and HbA1c (a three-month average of blood sugar), cholesterol and, where relevant, age-appropriate tumor markers round out the picture.

Results feed directly into the committee’s reasoning. A high antibody load may mean a longer expected wait; poor kidney function may prompt discussion of a combined heart-kidney transplant. None of it is a verdict on its own.

Heart-specific tests: echocardiogram, ECG and right heart catheterization

You have probably had most of these before. In the evaluation they are repeated with a sharper purpose: to quantify exactly how the heart is failing and whether the lungs’ blood vessels can accept a healthy donor heart.

An electrocardiogram (ECG) records the heart’s electrical signals through stickers on the skin and takes minutes. It flags rhythm disturbances and evidence of old heart attacks. Many people also wear a portable monitor for a day or more to catch intermittent rhythms.

The echocardiogram measures ejection fraction, the percentage of blood the main chamber pushes out with each beat, along with chamber sizes, valve function and pressure estimates. Advanced heart failure often shows an ejection fraction far below the normal range, but the team also studies how the right side of the heart is holding up, because a struggling right ventricle can complicate surgery.

Right heart catheterization is the test people remember. Under local anesthetic, a thin catheter enters a vein in the neck or groin and is guided into the right heart and the pulmonary artery, the vessel carrying blood to the lungs. It measures pressures directly and calculates cardiac output, the volume the heart pumps per minute. The critical number is pulmonary vascular resistance: how stiff the lung vessels have become. If resistance is high and does not fall when the team tests it with medicines during the procedure, a donor heart’s right ventricle may be unable to pump against it. This is why the catheterization is sometimes repeated after a period of treatment.

Coronary angiography, an X-ray of the heart’s arteries after injecting contrast dye, may be added when blockages are suspected, and cardiac MRI or a nuclear scan can clarify scar tissue or muscle viability. Together these tests tell the committee whether the heart is truly beyond repair and whether the lungs are ready to receive a replacement.

Why the cardiopulmonary exercise test carries so much weight

Ask transplant cardiologists which single measurement they lean on most and many will name the cardiopulmonary exercise test, usually shortened to CPET. It looks like a routine treadmill or stationary bike test, except that you breathe through a mask connected to a gas analyzer while heart rhythm and blood pressure are monitored.

The mask is the point. By measuring oxygen breathed in and carbon dioxide breathed out, the machine calculates peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2): the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use per minute at full effort. That figure integrates the heart, the lungs, the blood and the muscles into one number. A person can describe feeling breathless on stairs, but peak VO2 puts a value on it that does not depend on mood, motivation or vocabulary.

International heart failure guidelines use peak VO2 thresholds, adjusted for whether someone takes beta-blockers (medicines that slow the heart), as part of the criteria for listing. Rather than quoting the specific cut-offs here, which vary by guideline edition and by individual context, the useful thing to know is that a low value signals that the heart’s pumping limit is now the limit of daily life, which strengthens the case for transplant. A better-than-expected value can prompt the team to hold off and keep optimizing medicines and devices.

CPET also produces a second measure called the VE/VCO2 slope, which reflects how efficiently the lungs clear carbon dioxide during exertion. Inefficient ventilation is another marker of severe disease.

Not everyone can complete the test. People who are too weak, who have orthopedic limits or who are already on intravenous support are assessed through the other measures instead. The test is demanding by design; the team wants your true maximum, and staff stop it the moment safety requires.

Beyond the heart: lungs, kidneys, liver, teeth and cancer screening

The heart is the reason you are there, but most of the evaluation is about everything else. The logic is simple: a donor heart is a scarce resource, and the medicines that protect it stress other organs and weaken defenses against infection and cancer. The team needs to know the rest of the body can carry that load.

Lungs are checked with pulmonary function tests (breathing into a machine that measures volume and airflow) and a chest X-ray or CT scan. Chronic lung disease raises surgical risk and can be mistaken for heart-related breathlessness.

Kidneys get particular scrutiny. Heart failure reduces blood flow to them, and calcineurin inhibitors, the class of anti-rejection medicine most commonly used after transplant, can cause further kidney injury over time. The team estimates how much function is truly lost versus how much might recover once a new heart restores circulation; a 24-hour urine collection or a kidney ultrasound may be part of that.

Liver tests and, if needed, imaging look for congestion damage from chronic right-sided pressure. Blood vessel studies, such as carotid ultrasound and ankle-brachial index, check for widespread arterial disease.

Cancer screening follows age- and sex-appropriate guidance: colonoscopy, mammogram, cervical screening, prostate testing, skin examination and a low-dose chest CT for long-term smokers. Immunosuppression can accelerate an undetected cancer, so a recent cancer usually requires a disease-free interval before listing; the length depends on cancer type and is decided case by case with oncology input.

A dental examination catches hidden infection that could seed the bloodstream after surgery. Bone density testing anticipates steroid effects on bone. Vaccination status is reviewed because live vaccines generally cannot be given once immunosuppression starts, per CDC guidance for immunocompromised people.

Each finding is weighed for whether it can be treated before listing or would follow the patient after transplant.

Heart transplant evaluation tests at a glance

Programs differ in order and in which tests they repeat, but the core set is remarkably consistent. The table groups them by the question each one answers.

Test	What it involves	What the team is looking for
Blood type, HLA tissue typing, PRA	Blood draw	Donor compatibility; level of pre-formed antibodies
Infection serologies	Blood draw	HIV, hepatitis, CMV, EBV, toxoplasma and others that could flare under immunosuppression
Kidney, liver, clotting, glucose panels	Blood and urine	Whether other organs can tolerate surgery and anti-rejection medicines
ECG and rhythm monitor	Skin electrodes, minutes to days	Arrhythmias, old damage
Echocardiogram	Ultrasound, 30–60 minutes	Ejection fraction, valve function, right heart strain
Right heart catheterization	Catheter via neck or groin vein	Pulmonary pressures and resistance; response to vasodilators
Coronary angiography	Catheter with contrast dye	Artery blockages, suitability of alternatives
Cardiopulmonary exercise test	Treadmill or bike with breathing mask	Peak VO2, ventilatory efficiency, objective functional limit
Chest X-ray or CT, pulmonary function	Imaging; breathing tests	Lung disease, structural issues
Vascular studies	Ultrasound, pressure cuffs	Arterial disease elsewhere
Cancer screening	Age- and sex-appropriate	Undetected malignancy
Dental exam, bone density	Clinic visits	Hidden infection; baseline bone health
Psychosocial assessment	Interviews with social work, psychology	Support, coping, understanding, substance use

Two features of the list deserve emphasis. Several tests are repeated over time, especially right heart catheterization and CPET, because heart failure fluctuates and the committee wants a trend, not a snapshot. The Mayo Clinic notes that even after listing, people are re-evaluated periodically to confirm they remain suitable. The other feature is that the non-cardiac tests outnumber the cardiac ones. That is by design, not excess.

The psychosocial evaluation: what social workers and psychologists assess

People are often surprised, and occasionally offended, that a conversation with a social worker carries as much formal weight as a catheterization. The reasoning becomes clearer once you picture life after transplant: multiple medicines several times a day, frequent clinic visits and biopsies in the first year, strict infection precautions, and the need to report small symptoms quickly. A donor heart’s fate is tied to that routine.

The interview usually covers how well you understand what a transplant involves, how you have managed medical instructions in the past, and who will be with you during recovery. The NHS and the Mayo Clinic both describe assessment of a person’s support network and willingness to follow post-transplant care as part of determining suitability. A named caregiver is often required for the early weeks at home.

Mental health is reviewed with care rather than judgment. Depression and anxiety are common in advanced heart failure and are not disqualifying; untreated, however, they can erode the energy needed to keep up with care, so the team may arrange treatment before or alongside listing. Cognitive screening checks that memory and reasoning are adequate for managing complex medicines, and can uncover reversible problems such as low blood flow effects that improve with treatment.

Substance use is asked about directly. Tobacco use, alcohol above recommended limits and drug use affect both surgical risk and the health of the new heart. Most programs require sustained abstinence documented over time; the length is program-specific and discussed openly.

Finances and logistics are part of the conversation because transport to appointments, time off work and medication access are practical realities. The social worker’s job is to identify gaps and help close them, not to find reasons to say no.

Heart transplant contraindications: what can put a transplant on hold

A contraindication is any factor that makes a treatment unsafe or unlikely to help. In transplant medicine they come in two flavors. Absolute contraindications generally rule a transplant out; relative ones are weighed against everything else and can often be modified.

The Mayo Clinic lists factors that may make a person unsuitable: advanced age that would interfere with recovery, another medical condition that could shorten life regardless of a new heart, active infection, recent personal history of cancer, and an unwillingness or inability to make the lifestyle changes needed to keep a donor heart healthy, including avoiding alcohol and not smoking. The NHS similarly notes that transplant may not be offered when other serious conditions or lifestyle factors would make the operation too risky or reduce the chances of it helping.

Several findings from the tests above fall into the relative category and often become treatment targets rather than closed doors:

• High, fixed pulmonary vascular resistance on right heart catheterization
• Kidney or liver function that has not recovered despite optimized heart failure treatment
• Poorly controlled diabetes with organ damage
• Severe obesity or, at the other extreme, frailty and muscle wasting
• Peripheral or cerebrovascular disease that raises stroke risk
• Recent blood clots in the lungs
• Very high antibody levels that shrink the donor pool

Age deserves a specific word because it causes more anxiety than almost anything else. There is no universal cut-off. Programs look at physiological age, the body’s actual condition, rather than the number on a birth certificate, and older candidates with few other problems are considered.

When a relative contraindication is found, the team typically outlines what would need to change and over what period, then re-evaluates. Being deferred is common and is not the same as being declined.

How long does heart transplant evaluation take, and what the following weeks look like

Evaluation is usually compressed into a few intensive days, either as an inpatient stay or a series of tightly scheduled outpatient visits, with a smaller number of tests trailing afterward as slots become available. The NHS describes the assessment as involving a series of tests that may require a hospital stay of a few days. People who are already admitted with worsening heart failure often have the whole workup done during that admission.

The days themselves are tiring. Fasting for catheterization, exertion for CPET, long interviews and repeated blood draws stack up. Bringing a companion who can take notes is genuinely useful; most people retain far less from these conversations than they expect.

Once results are in, the transplant committee meets. Meetings are typically weekly, so a decision usually follows within a few weeks of the last test. Outcomes fall into broad categories: approved and listed, deferred with specific goals, offered an alternative such as a mechanical pump, or not a candidate. Whatever the decision, the team should explain the reasoning and what, if anything, could change it.

If listed, the following weeks bring their own routine. You receive an urgency status that reflects how sick you are and how you are being supported, and that status can change as your condition does. The Mayo Clinic notes that waiting can last months or longer and that people are monitored and periodically re-tested during that time to confirm they remain suitable and to update antibody screening. Some people are managed at home with a phone always nearby; others wait in hospital on intravenous medicines or a mechanical pump.

Practical preparation happens in parallel: arranging who will drive you when the call comes, packing a bag, and keeping the team informed of any infection, travel or change in medicines.

Heart transplant eligibility criteria: how the committee weighs the results

The committee meeting is the part patients never see, so it helps to know how it works. A typical transplant committee includes cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, transplant coordinators (nurses who manage the process end to end), infectious disease specialists, pharmacists, social workers, psychologists, dietitians and sometimes an ethicist. Each person reviews the results from their own angle before the group decides together.

The first filter is need. Does the pattern across CPET, catheterization, hospital admissions and symptoms show heart failure that is severe, progressive and not responsive to guideline-directed therapy? Guideline-directed therapy means the combination of medicines and devices that heart failure guidelines recommend at maximum tolerated levels. If there is room to optimize, that often comes first.

The second filter is benefit. Would the person be expected to do substantially better with a transplant than without? Here the non-cardiac findings dominate: kidney reserve, lung function, vascular disease, cancer history, infection status and frailty. A very sick heart in a body with several other failing systems may argue for palliative care or a mechanical pump rather than transplant.

The third filter is feasibility. Antibody levels, blood type and body size affect how often a compatible donor is likely to appear. Psychosocial findings affect whether the routine of transplant care can realistically be sustained. Support and adherence are assessed as matters of fact, with the aim of shoring up weak points.

None of these filters is mechanical. Two people with similar numbers can receive different decisions because of context. That is uncomfortable but honest, and it is why the team should be willing to walk you through their reasoning in plain terms.

What people often get wrong about heart transplant evaluation

Myths cluster around this process, partly because so much of it happens out of view. A few of the most persistent deserve correction.

“It’s a test I can pass by trying harder.” The exercise test measures physiology, not effort or character. Pushing to the point of danger does not improve the case; staff stop the test when safety requires. What the team wants is an accurate picture, and a candid account of symptoms is more valuable than stoicism.

“Being turned down means they think I’m not worth it.” Deferral or decline is a judgment about risk and expected benefit, not about worth. Most deferrals come with specific goals and a plan to re-evaluate.

“Once I’m listed, the hard part is over.” Listing begins a period of active monitoring, repeat testing and readiness. The Mayo Clinic notes that people on the list are re-evaluated periodically and can be removed if their condition changes in either direction.

“Age alone decides it.” There is no universal age cut-off. Programs weigh overall condition, and older candidates with few other problems are considered.

“The psychological interview is a trick.” It is an assessment of support and understanding, conducted to identify what help you need. Honesty about mood, memory or substance use leads to support, not automatic exclusion.

“A mechanical pump means they’ve given up on transplant.” An LVAD is frequently used as a bridge that stabilizes someone, improves organ function and makes eventual transplant safer.

“If my kidneys are weak, I’m out.” Kidney function is often reduced by poor circulation and may improve with better heart output; the team tries to distinguish reversible from fixed damage.

Understanding these points tends to reduce the sense of being judged and restore the sense of being assessed.

Questions to ask your care team during the evaluation

The evaluation is a two-way exercise. The team learns about you; you should come away understanding how they think. Write questions down before visits and ask the coordinator who is best placed to answer each one.

• Which of my results are most influencing your thinking, and why?
• Are there findings you consider reversible, and what would need to change for me to be listed?
• How severe is my pulmonary vascular resistance, and will the catheterization be repeated?
• What did my exercise test show about my functional limit?
• How high are my antibody levels, and how might that affect waiting time?
• Would a mechanical pump be considered for me, either as a bridge or as long-term therapy, and what are the trade-offs?
• What alternatives exist if transplant is not recommended, including palliative approaches?
• How will my kidney function be protected before and after transplant?
• Which vaccinations should be updated before immunosuppression starts?
• What is expected of my caregiver in the first weeks at home?
• How often will I be re-evaluated while waiting, and what could change my urgency status?
• Who do I call, at any hour, if something changes?

Two habits make these conversations more productive. Ask for the reasoning behind each answer rather than just the answer; transplant medicine is full of judgment calls, and understanding the logic helps you participate. Repeat back what you have heard in your own words so misunderstandings surface early. Coordinators expect this and generally welcome it.

Bring your caregiver to at least one meeting. The team will want to speak with them anyway, and it helps for both of you to hear the same explanations at the same time.

When to call your doctor during and after a heart transplant evaluation

Advanced heart failure can change quickly, and the evaluation period is no exception. The tests themselves also carry small risks that need prompt attention. Do not wait for the next scheduled appointment if any of the following occur.

Call emergency services immediately for:

• Chest pain or pressure lasting more than a few minutes, or spreading to the arm, jaw or back
• Severe breathlessness at rest, or waking unable to breathe
• Fainting or near-fainting, especially with a racing or very slow heartbeat
• Sudden weakness, facial droop, confusion or trouble speaking, which can signal a stroke
• Heavy bleeding or a rapidly enlarging swelling at a catheter puncture site

Contact the transplant team the same day for:

• Weight gain of a few pounds over one or two days, new ankle or abdominal swelling, or needing more pillows to sleep, all of which suggest fluid buildup
• Fever, chills or any sign of infection, including at a catheter site
• New or worsening palpitations, dizziness or reduced urine output
• Numbness, coolness or color change in a leg or arm after catheterization
• Any new medicine started by another clinician, since interactions matter for listing and future immunosuppression

After listing, the same rules apply, with one addition: report any change that could affect readiness for surgery, such as an infection, a dental problem, travel plans or a hospital admission elsewhere. The NHS and Mayo Clinic both emphasize that waiting-list patients must stay reachable and keep the team informed.

This paragraph covers the red flags most relevant to the evaluation period; it is not a substitute for the specific instructions your own team gives you, which should take precedence. Every decision about your care, including whether and when to proceed, rests with the clinicians who know your full picture.

Frequently asked questions

What are the main heart transplant eligibility criteria?

Eligibility rests on severe heart failure that has not responded to optimized medicines and devices, combined with an absence of other conditions that would make surgery unsafe or undermine the new heart. The NHS describes candidates as people whose life is at risk without a transplant and who are otherwise well enough for major surgery. Teams also assess support at home, ability to follow long-term care and the absence of active infection, recent cancer or ongoing substance use.

How long does heart transplant evaluation take from start to decision?

The core testing is usually concentrated into a few days, either during a hospital stay or across closely scheduled outpatient visits, with occasional tests trailing afterward. The NHS notes that assessment can involve a hospital stay of a few days. The transplant committee then reviews all results, often at a weekly meeting, so a decision commonly follows within a few weeks of the final test. Timelines vary by program and by how quickly outstanding results arrive.

What is the cardiopulmonary exercise test for in a heart transplant workup?

The cardiopulmonary exercise test measures how much oxygen your body can use at maximum effort, a value called peak VO2, while you exercise on a treadmill or bike wearing a breathing mask. It gives the team an objective measure of how limited the heart has made you, independent of how you describe symptoms. Guidelines use peak VO2 thresholds as part of listing criteria, and the result also helps distinguish heart-related limitation from lung or muscle problems.

What are common heart transplant contraindications?

The Mayo Clinic lists active infection, recent cancer, another serious condition that could shorten life regardless of a new heart, advanced age that would interfere with recovery, and unwillingness or inability to make lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking. Other findings that may delay listing include high fixed pulmonary vascular resistance, unrecovered kidney or liver damage, severe obesity or frailty, recent blood clots and very high antibody levels. Many of these are treatable and lead to deferral rather than refusal.

Why is a right heart catheterization needed if I already had an echocardiogram?

An echocardiogram estimates pressures indirectly from ultrasound signals, while right heart catheterization measures them directly with a thin tube placed in the heart and pulmonary artery. The direct measurement of pulmonary vascular resistance, the stiffness of the lung’s blood vessels, is critical because a donor heart may fail if it has to pump against very high resistance. The catheterization also lets the team test whether resistance falls with medicines, which affects timing.

What does the panel reactive antibody test mean for my wait?

The panel reactive antibody test estimates what proportion of potential donors your immune system already has antibodies against. A higher percentage means fewer compatible donors and usually a longer expected wait, and it can influence how the team manages listing and matching. Previous transfusions, pregnancies or surgery with donor tissue can raise antibody levels. The test is repeated periodically while you wait, because antibody levels can change over time.

Why does the transplant team care about my teeth and skin?

After transplant, anti-rejection medicines suppress the immune system, so any hidden infection or early cancer can become dangerous. A dental examination finds gum or tooth infections that could seed the bloodstream after surgery, and a skin check looks for early skin cancers, which are more common in people taking immunosuppressants. Treating these before listing removes a preventable risk. Age-appropriate cancer screening follows the same logic.

Can I be evaluated for a heart transplant if my kidneys are not working well?

Yes, though kidney function is examined closely. Advanced heart failure reduces blood flow to the kidneys, and some of that loss may recover when circulation improves, so the team tries to distinguish reversible from permanent damage using blood, urine and imaging tests. Where kidney disease is severe and fixed, a combined heart and kidney transplant may be discussed. The decision depends on the full picture and rests with the treating team.

What happens if the committee says I am not sick enough yet?

Being told you are not yet a candidate means the expected benefit of transplant does not clearly outweigh its risks at this stage. The team usually continues to optimize medicines and devices, follows you closely and repeats key tests such as exercise testing and catheterization as your condition evolves. Some people are offered a mechanical pump as a bridge. Re-referral is common when symptoms or test results worsen, and the door generally remains open.

What is expected of me while waiting after being listed?

You are expected to stay reachable at all times, keep appointments for periodic re-evaluation and antibody testing, report infections or new symptoms promptly, avoid tobacco and alcohol as advised, and tell the team before any travel or new medicines. The Mayo Clinic notes that waiting can last months or longer and that suitability is reconfirmed during that period. A named caregiver, a packed bag and a transport plan help you respond quickly when a donor heart becomes available.

References

• NHS: Heart transplant, what happens
• MedlinePlus: Heart transplant

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.