According to data from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), 3,552 orthotopic heart transplants (OHT) were performed in 2019. That’s up slightly from 3,408 the year before. After these transplants, one of the biggest concerns is acute rejection of the allograft. As a cardiac anesthesiologist, I’m tasked with ensuring…
Orthotopic heart transplantations (OHTs) are some of my favorite procedures as a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist! After establishing general endotracheal anesthesia (GETA) with standard monitors, an arterial line, a central line (often with pulmonary artery catheter), large-bore peripheral intravenous (PIV) access, and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), the remainder of the procedure is carefully…
The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is a non-profit organization that oversees national transplant waiting lists, collects data about every organ transplant that occurs in the United States, promotes awareness about the importance of organ donation, and “matches” donors to recipients based on expected benefit, waiting time, geography, blood/tissue…
A standard double lung transplantation includes a series of steps involving incision (median sternotomy or clamshell thoracotomy), cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in many cases, right and left pneumonectomies of the native lungs, preparation of the donor lungs, and implantation of the donor lungs. For the purposes of this post, I’ll talk…