Download A Patient`s Guide Lung Transplantation

The Gift of Life
A Patient’s Guide to
lung transpl ant
1
Teresa King
Received a left single lung
transplant January 9, 2013 due
to Pulmonary Hypertension.
on the cover:
Joe Grigsby
Received a bilateral lung
transplant January 30, 2013
due to Cystic Fibrosis.
The Gift of Life
A Patient’s Guide to lung transplant
The Lung Transplant Team at UK HealthCare is made up of a group of trained and
experienced professionals who are passionate about providing a better quality of
life to those with end-stage lung disease. Whether your doctor has sent you for
evaluation, or you have requested an appointment on your own, we are glad you are
here! In the coming days and weeks, you will meet members of our team and discuss
at length the benefits and risks of lung transplantation. We hope to provide you with
all the information you need to decide if lung transplant is the right choice for you.
1
Introduction2 Rejection and infection
11
Types of transplants at UK Healthcare
4 Medications12
Candidates for lung transplantation
5 Preparing for home
12
Waiting for transplantation
7 After returning home
14
Day of transplant
8 Nutrition17
Care post transplant
9 In conclusion
This booklet summarizes what you can expect during the
transplant evaluation process, transplant surgery and life
after lung transplant. If you are deemed to be a transplant
candidate, you will receive a much more detailed manual
that outlines the specific medications, appointments and
bronchoscopy schedules, etc. you can anticipate once you
have received your new lung(s).
The education process begins here and never ends. We
encourage you to ask questions throughout the process,
and are happy to take the time to review any details until
you feel comfortable with the information provided to you.
We are excited about the possibility of offering lung
transplantation and look forward to having you join our
UK HealthCare transplant family.
The purpose of this guide is to provide you and your family
with an explanation of the transplantation process. Once
you are accepted as a candidate for a lung transplant,
you become as vital to our team as the physicians, nurses,
therapists, and other specialists who are assembled to
care for you.
2
17
All members of the health care team realize that a great
deal of information is contained in these pages. We hope
you will read this book carefully and write down any
questions or concerns you may have.
Our goal as your healthcare team is for you to have a great
experience, at not only the Transplant Center, but in all
areas of UK HealthCare. We are available to you 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year. We will strive to ensure that your
experience is unique to you and address any questions or
concerns you may have at any time throughout the process.
We will do our part to make your experience as positive
as possible. We encourage you to speak openly with the
physicians, coordinators, ancillary staff and other patients
as needed through the patient ambassador program.
We also encourage you and your caregivers to attend the
monthly support group for lung/heart transplant patients.
We will work very hard to make this process as smooth as
possible, we ask that you do your part by showing up for all
of your appointments and asking questions as they arise.
Our Lung Transplant Team
Lung Transplant Surgeons
Charles Hoopes, MD, Director, Transplant Center
Jason Alexander Gill, Professor of
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Roh Yanagida, MD, PhD
Jeremiah Martin, MD
Lung Transplant Pulmonologists
Harish Seethamraju, MD, Medical Director
Micheal Anstead, MD
John McConnell, MD
Anil Gopinath, MD
Lung Transplant Coordinators
Julie Leigh, RN, CCTC
BeLinda Connor, RN, CCTC
Donna Dennis, RN, CCTC
Dawn Wilson, RN
Alicia Alvarado, RN
Lung Transplant Nurse Practitioner
Kristyn Gordon, ARNP
Financial Counselor
Kim Million
Staff Assistants
Jennifer Whittaker
Jill Marion
Transplant Dietitian
Leslie Eble, RD
Transplant Pharmacists
Jeremy Flynn, Pharm D
Ann Fugit, Pharm D
Director of Cardiothoracic Transplant
Dorothy Lockhart RN, CCTC
Operating Room Staff
Cardiovascular Intensive Care Nursing Staff
Respiratory Therapy Staff
Physical Therapy Staff
Pulmonary Function Lab Staff
Nursing Staff on General Medicine Floor
Clinical Social Worker
Summer Davies, MSW
3
Types of transplants at UK HealthCare
Single-lung or double-lung
Your disease process, the transplant team’s assessment of
your medical needs and the availability of donor lungs are
considered in determining whether one or both lungs
should be transplanted.
Heart-lung
Both lungs and the heart are replaced when they have
irreversible damage, either due to one disease or a
combination of diseases that affect both organs.
More than 2,000 lung transplants are performed each year
worldwide. Illnesses that are sometimes treated with a
lung transplant include: alpha-one-antitrypsin deficiency,
pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension,
sarcoidosis, eosinophilic granuloma, bronchiectasis,
lymphangioleiomyomatosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) and emphysema due to tobacco smoking.
There are also other rare conditions that may be considered
on a case by case basis.
Pediatric lung
Lung transplantation in children is usually considered for:
• Cystic fibrosis with end-stage lung disease
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Pulmonary fibrosis
4
Candidates for lung transplantation
To be considered for lung transplantation, you must:
• Have a condition for which transplantation is considered
an effective treatment.
• Have severe and progressive lung disease that no longer
responds to medical treatment.
• Be willing to accept the risks of surgery and subsequent
medical treatment.
• Be physically capable of undergoing surgery and
subsequent medical treatment.
• Not smoke or abuse alcohol or drugs (or use tobacco of
any kind).
Even if you otherwise qualify, the transplant team may
determine that you are not a good candidate – for example,
because of severe, coexisting medical conditions that
may be worsened by a surgical procedure and follow-up
treatments with powerful immunosuppressive (anti-rejection)
medication.
Lung transplantation is not simply a surgical procedure; it
is a process of events that include an evaluation phase, a
waiting period, hospitalization for surgery, and continuing
care after surgery. Therefore, it is important for you and
your family to have as much information as possible about
each of the different phases of the transplant process.
Evaluation
In order to be considered for a lung transplant you must
be evaluated by the doctor and other health care providers
at the UK HealthCare Transplant Center. Evaluation for
transplantation involves a series of tests and exams by a
variety of different specialists including doctors, nurses,
therapists, dietitians, social workers, psychiatrist and
financial counselors. Each of these specialists will ask
you for information and give you information about lung
transplantation. Generally, the evaluation phase will be
done as an outpatient. Some tests, like the left heart
catheterization, may require an overnight stay in the
hospital. The tests you will have during the evaluation
phase are listed below. Depending on your diagnosis,
additional tests may also be indicated.
Heart
• Catheterization of the heart to examine blood supply
and pressure (this test requires a catheter to be threaded
through a large vein into your heart and dye injected
into the heart through the catheter while an X-ray
picture is taken).
• Electrocardiogram (EKG) to determine heart
electrical activity.
• Echocardiogram (ultrasound) to assess heart muscle and
valve function and to estimate pulmonary pressures.
Lungs
• Ventilation-perfusion lung scan to determine blood and
air supply to the lungs (this requires an injection of
radioactive “tracer” into a vein, known as a VQ scan.).
• Pulmonary function tests to measure lung size and
function (requires inhaling/exhaling into a machine).
• Chest CT scan to get a three-dimensional X-ray picture
of your lungs.
• Chest X-ray.
5
Erma Tirey
Received a bilateral lung transplant
January 7, 2013 due to Idiopathic
Pulmonary Fibrosis and she
subsequently received a right
lung transplant February 6, 2013.
6
Waiting for transplantation
Other
• L aboratory tests of blood to determine your blood type,
to help determine the risk of rejecting a transplanted lung
or getting a serious infection, and to look at the function
of your other organs (i.e., kidney and liver).
• Six-minute walk study.
• Arterial blood gas.
• GERD (Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease) work up.
• Bone-density test.
• Exercise capacity.
• It will also be necessary to have basic tests conducted
through your primary care physician, including a
colonoscopy, mammogram and PAP smear, as well
as a full dental examination.
All information from tests, interviews and your medical
history will be considered in determining your candidacy
for lung transplantation. The team will also assess your
financial resources and social support to determine
whether they meet the requirements of the program.
Becoming a lung transplant candidate
After the evaluation is complete, the transplant team
will meet in approximately two weeks to discuss all the
information gathered. The team will discuss the benefits for
transplant and any problems that could make transplantation
too risky for you. Sometimes, additional tests may be required
to resolve doubts about your candidacy for transplantation.
Once you have become a candidate for lung transplantation,
the waiting period begins. Waiting for a suitable lung or
lungs to become available may be the toughest part of the
transplantation process. In the United States, all organs
available for transplantation are listed on a national
transplant waiting list maintained by the United Network
for Organ Sharing (UNOS). The UNOS list matches donor
organs to potential recipients based on a number of criteria:
• Compatibility of donor and recipient.
• Blood type.
• Lung size.
Every medical center matches donors and recipients through
UNOS, but each center has its own rules for accepting or
declining potential donors. Your donor lung(s) will come
from a person who has been declared brain dead and
whose organs have been donated.
If you are at home during the waiting period, it is a good
idea to plan for the day you are called to the hospital for
transplant. We suggest you keep a packed suitcase ready
in preparation for the day (or night) of your surgery. When
preparing your bag, think about what clothes and personal
articles you would like to have with you in the hospital
(reading material, music, etc.). Make a list of the people
you want to notify about the transplant. Make a note of the
route you will use when coming to the hospital and where
your family plans to stay while you are in the hospital.
We will make all the arrangements necessary to complete
these additional tests as quickly as possible. You will be
scheduled for a follow-up clinic visit after your evaluation
to discuss the results and the recommendations of the
transplant team.
7
Day of transplant
When a lung becomes available, the on-call nurse coordinator
will contact you and ask you to come to UK HealthCare.
Due to confidentiality requirements, you will not know the
name of your organ donor at the time of transplant. Once
contacted, you should come to the hospital with as little
delay as possible. Be sure to travel with care, obeying
traffic laws and ensuring safe arrival as your travel time
will be considered before you are notified. Also, once you
are contacted, do not eat or drink ANYTHING.
Preparation for surgery
Prior to surgery, you will be examined by nurses, surgeons
and anesthesiologists. Additionally, you will:
•H
ave a chest X-ray, electrocardiogram (EKG) and urinalysis.
• Give blood samples from a vein and artery in your arm.
• Receive an IV catheter in your arm or hand .
• Have your vital signs (blood pressure, pulse and
temperature) taken.
Before surgery, you will be asked to sign a consent form
giving the surgeons and anesthesiologists permission to
perform the lung transplant. During most of the preparation
period, your family will be allowed to stay and visit with
you. Once you go to the operating room, your family will
be taken to a waiting room.
8
Once you are in the operating room, doctors and nurses
will further prepare you for surgery. The anesthesiologist
will give you medicines to help you relax and sleep. The
start time of your surgery will depend on the progress of
our team of surgeons and specialists traveling to retrieve
the donor lung(s), sometimes referred to as the “donor
team” or “the procurement team.”
These specialists keep the surgeons at UK informed of their
progress with getting your new lung(s). Once the donor
team decides if the new lung(s) is/are right for you, they will
contact the UK HealthCare team. Due to the fragile nature
of lung tissue, the donor lungs may become unacceptable
for transplant at any time during this process.
If donor lungs are unacceptable, this is referred to as a
“dry-run” and your procedure would be cancelled. If the
donor lungs are approved, you will undergo transplantation.
After the surgery has been completed, you will be taken
to the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit, also called the
CTV-ICU.
Care post transplant
Intensive care
In the CTV-ICU, your family will be allowed to visit once you
are settled and stable. Usually, the number of visitors in the
CTV-ICU is limited to immediate family members. The purpose
for limiting visitors is to decrease the risk of infection.
During your CTV-ICU stay, your vital signs – including heart
rate, blood pressure, respirations, temperature and urine
output – will be checked hourly. We will work hard to get much
of this information without disturbing you, especially when
you are resting. A chest X-ray will be performed in your room
each day to evaluate the condition of the new lung(s). You
will also have a bronchoscopy performed daily to keep the
lungs free of secretions. For the first few hours and days in
the CTV-ICU, you will be monitored with a lot of different
equipment. As you recover from surgery, much of that
equipment will no longer be necessary and you will be able to
get up out of bed, sit in a chair and walk around your bedside.
The length of stay in the CTV-ICU varies from individual to
individual. The usual CTV-ICU stay is between three and
seven days. When you are transferred from the CTV-ICU,
you will go to a private room, where you will stay until you
are discharged from the hospital.
Acute care
After your stay in the CTV-ICU, you will be moved to a private
room on the 6th floor of the hospital. Staying in a private room
is necessary in order to decrease the number of people you
come in contact with, thus decreasing the chance infection.
During the remainder of your hospital stay we ask that visitors
be limited to immediate family and clergy members. Family
members and any other visitors with a cold or any other kind
of illness will be asked not to visit with you directly, but to
instead use the telephone. You should always wear a mask
when you are outside your room and especially when you go
to have any tests, such as an X-ray. Unfortunately, we cannot
allow fresh flowers or plants of any kind in your room after
the transplant. Flowers and plants have bacteria on them.
Please let your family and friends know about the “no
flowers” policy.
During your hospital stay, you and your family will be
involved in a number of activities designed to:
• Help you recover from surgery.
• Monitor the function of your new lung.
• Prepare you for going home.
• Inform you about your health care and lifestyle once you
are discharged from the hospital.
During the hospital recovery and rehabilitation phase of the
transplant process, a lot of different people will be involved
in your care, including doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, dietitians and social workers.
Again, we encourage you to ask questions about your care,
particularly if there is something you do not understand.
The first step in the recovery process will involve a
combination of medication, chest physiotherapy, proper
nutrition and exercise with appropriate periods of rest.
Immunosuppresant therapy
In addition to chest physiotherapy and exercise, an equally
important part of your post-transplant care involves taking
special medications. Unfortunately, your body will recognize your new lung(s) as an antigen or foreign body and will
try to make antibodies to fight against it. Therefore, after
the transplant your immune system must be suppressed.
This is done with medicines, some of which you will need to
take every day for the rest of your life.
It is important to remember that efforts to prevent rejection
of your new lung by immunosuppression, cause you to become
vulnerable to infections with bacteria and viruses. Rejection
and infection are discussed next followed by a description
of the medications you will take after the transplant surgery.
Remember: Each patient is unique – every person will have
a different experience.
9
Paige West
Received a bilateral lung transplant
July 7, 2012 due to Cystic Fibrosis.
10
Rejection and infection
Rejection
For transplant patients, the word rejection means that your
body has recognized your new lung as one that you were
not born with. If rejection does occur, it means that your
body’s immune system is trying to fight against it. This is to
be expected, but must be controlled by medications after
your transplant. The diagnosis of rejection after a lung
transplant is made by a doctor based on the results of a
biopsy performed during bronchoscopy.
During a biopsy, a small piece of the lung tissue (about
the size of a bread crumb) is taken and examined under
a microscope. To be sure that you are experiencing
rejection and not an infection, other tests, including a
chest X-ray, PFTs, sputum and blood samples, may need
to be performed.
During the first few months after your transplant,
biopsies will be performed on a regular basis, as part of
our surveillance protocol. The transplant coordinator will
inform you of your results and tell you if any changes in
your therapy (especially medicines) are required.
Infection
After a lung transplant, infections caused by bacteria or
viruses are of great concern because the drugs you are
taking to prevent rejection increase the possibility of
infections. Sources of infection include not only other
people and things, but also your own body. The diagnosis
of infection will be based on tests like X-rays and cultures
of your blood, sputum and urine, as well as other tests
including blood samples, x-rays, etc. In the hospital,
steps to prevent infection include:
• Hand washing is the single best way to prevent infection.
• Staying in a private room.
• Limited number of visitors.
• No fresh flowers allowed in room.
• Wearing a mask outside your hospital room, even when
you are being transported to other places in the hospital.
• Close monitoring of your temperature, oxygen saturation
and blood samples.
At home, there are things you can do to help prevent and
detect infections:
• Hand washing is the single best way to prevent infection.
• Avoid construction sites.
• Avoid gardening or any other activities where you are in
contact with soil.
• Don’t change litter boxes or bird cages.
• Avoid crowds, crowded rooms and sick people.
• Check with transplant team before taking flu shots
or vaccinations.
• Contact the transplant team before having any dental
work performed – including cleaning (you must have
antibiotics before these procedures).
• Wear a mask when you are in the hospital or clinic.
• Monitor your own body temperature, heart rate, breathing
and blood pressure.
• Watch for changes such as productive coughing, scratchy
throat and changes in the color of your sputum.
• Decrease in peak flow of 50 ml or greater.
• Watch even the smallest cuts or scratches for signs
of redness, inflammation, the presence of pus or
slow healing.
Do not hesitate to contact the nurse coordinator if you
have any concerns about changes in your symptoms.
Early detection of infection/rejection is very important.
Generally, the treatment for infection is directed toward
making sure you are not experiencing rejection and then
treating the infection with the appropriate antibiotics or
antiviral medications.
11
Medications
Medications will be part of your daily routine for the rest of your life. The following pages describe medications commonly
used after transplantation, including immunosuppressants, anti-infectives, antiulcer medications, anti-hypertensives and
lipid-lowering drugs. In addition, you may be asked to participate in research studies.*
(*Participation in research studies is your decision and is not required.)
Preparing for home
Getting ready to go home from the hospital will involve
learning more about taking your own medicines, exercising,
diet and nutrition, and how to take your own vital signs and
FEV1. The pharmacist and coordinator will teach you about
your medicines, when to take them, how much to take and
potential side effects. During your last few days in the
hospital, you should be ready to take all of your medicines
on your own.
Physical therapists will help you with your daily exercise
routine while you are in the hospital. As you get ready to go
home, a therapist will review your daily exercise program
and check whether you are exercising properly.
12
Before going home, the transplant dietitian will be available
to answer any questions you and your family might have
about selecting the right foods and the basics of good
nutrition for transplant recipients.
Finally, the transplant coordinator will teach you how
to monitor and record your vital signs (temperature,
pulse, blood pressure, etc.). You will be instructed by the
pulmonary specialist how to record peak flow. In addition,
the coordinator will help you arrange clinic visits and order
prescriptions from the pharmacy. If you do not live within
30 minutes of Lexington, you will be required to stay
locally after transplant temporarily. The social worker
and coordinator can help arrange local housing if needed.
Remember, once you are discharged from the hospital a
member of the transplant team is only a phone call away.
Dewey Eldridge
Received a bilateral lung
transplant January 15, 2012
due to Coal Workers
Pneumoconiosis (Black Lung).
13
After returning home
Instructions:
1. Don’t add any medications to your current schedule of
medications without first talking with the transplant team.
2. D
on’t change the time or dose of any of your medications
without first talking with the transplant team.
3. Don’t run out of any of your medications. If you obtain
your medicines from the Kentucky Clinic Pharmacy,
please allow two to three days for delivery. You need
to order medications yourself. The Kentucky Clinic
Pharmacy telephone number is 859-323-5855.
4. NEVER take aspirin or medicine containing aspirin or
Ibuprofen (unless specifically ordered by your transplant
doctor), because it is very irritating to the stomach and
can cause kidney damage. Many “pain” or “cold” tablets
have aspirin in them, so check with the pharmacist if you
have any questions. Use acetaminophen (Tylenol) only.
5. Exercise: Continue with a programmed exercise plan.
Walk at least twice a day. Stop exercising if you become
short of breath, feel dizzy or have any pain. You may ride
a bike or swim if you wish. Remember to avoid lifting
anything heavier than 10 pounds until you are completely
healed but strengthen your arms up to five pounds for
approximately eight weeks. Thereafter, you may increase
the weight. Also remember to check your heart rate
before and after you exercise for at least the first few
weeks at home.
14
6. Monitoring of vital signs: Check your heart rate, blood
pressure and temperature every morning and evening.
Check peak flow once each day. Record these values in
your handbook (see vital signs diary sheet) and bring
your handbook with you to each clinic visit. Call a lung
coordinator if any of your vital signs changes significantly.
We will give you the ranges to watch for before you leave
the hospital.
7. Eating and nutrition: Maintain a low-salt diet according
to the plan worked out with the dietitian. You should
not eat sushi or any other raw meat. Weigh yourself
every morning and record your weight on your vital
signs diary.
8. Vomiting: Should you ever vomit after taking your
medications, call the Transplant office during normal
working hours (or the hospital after hours, and ask for
the transplant coordinator on call), immediately to see
if you should repeat your dose.
9. Hair care: Prednisone will probably affect the condition
of your hair. Tints, dyes, bleaches and permanent wave
lotions may cause your hair to break. We recommend
that you wait until your prednisone dose is less than 20
mg/day before you have a permanent or color your hair.
Tell your beautician that you are on prednisone and to
use a good conditioner on your hair.
10. Increased hair growth: This problem is especially
annoying to women, particularly when facial hair
increases. You may remove hair with a hair remover
cream. Be sure to test a skin area according to the
directions on the bottle. This cream causes severe
irritation to the eyes and mucous membranes (even to
your lips), so apply it carefully. You may use a 50 percent
peroxide solution to bleach excess hair growth. After
your prednisone dose is less than 20 mg/day, you may
use wax or electrolysis for permanent hair removal.
14. Sexuality
Female patients: You must have a Pap smear and a
breast examination every year and a mammogram as
recommended by your gynecologist. The tests can be
done by any physician, but all reports must be sent to
the Transplant office. You MUST use some form of birth
control because it is possible for you to get pregnant.
YOU SHOULD NOT GET PREGNANT.
11. Smoking: YOU MUST NOT SMOKE. Smoking causes
damage to the lungs which makes it easier for you to
develop a lung infection. You should stay away from
smoke-filled areas as much as possible. IF FAMILY
MEMBERS SMOKE, THEY MUST SMOKE OUTSIDE OF
YOUR HOME. To someone taking immunosuppressive
drugs (prednisone, cyclosporine, tacrolimus), lung
infections can be life-threatening.
15. C
old sores: Herpes simplex virus causes cold sores.
These sores look like tiny water blisters on the lip or
face. Always tell us if you get a cold sore.
12. Alcoholic beverages: Three months after your surgery,
if you have had no rejection, you may drink one alcoholic
beverage on special occasions ONLY. Alcohol is broken
down or metabolized by the liver and immunosuppressive
drugs are metabolized in your liver and kidneys. The
combination of the two can cause liver damage.
13. Pets: NO BIRDS and NO AMPHIBIOUS LIZARDS. If you
have cats, do not change the litter box.
Male patients: If you notice a change in your sexual
ability, do not hesitate to discuss it with us.
16. Chicken pox, measles, mumps, etc.: Inform us whenever
you are exposed to any communicable disease you have
not had previously.
17. Herpes zoster (shingles): Shingles appear as a rash or
small water blisters, usually on the chest, back or hips,
but they may appear on other areas. The rash may or
may not be painful. Your local doctor may treat your
shingles, however, be sure to notify the Transplant
office. Any topical treatment or pain medication that
gives you relief is acceptable.
Regular clinic visits
Initially you will be seen in clinic once weekly for a doctor
visit and twice weekly for labs only. We will check routine
labs, chest X-rays and pulmonary function tests, as this is a
very crucial time in your post-operative treatment. We will
also see you on an as-needed basis for any changes that
might indicate the presence of infection or rejection.
15
Chrissy Cornett
Received a bilateral lung
transplant February 4, 2013
due to Cystic Fibrosis.
16
Nutrition
In conclusion
Pre-transplant
As you can imagine, your nutritional status prior to transplant
is very important. It will affect how well and quickly you
heal and your general recovery. During the pre-transplant
evaluation phase, a registered dietitian will visit you to
assess your nutritional status. The dietitian will work
closely with you to help you achieve and maintain a good
nutritional status before transplantation.
From beginning to end, the transplantation process is a very
emotional time for patients and families. Your health is our
priority and the UK HealthCare Transplant Team offers the
highest-quality comprehensive care and support during
this process. If you have questions at any time, please
contact your nurse coordinator to discuss.
Post-transplant
Immediately after the transplant, your nutritional needs will
be increased due to the stress of surgery. During this time,
you must eat adequately to heal and recover. With the help
of the registered dietitian, you will modify your favorite recipes
to decrease the content of fat, sodium and other nutrients
so you can continue to prepare meals that you have always
enjoyed. It is important to remember that compliance to the
post-transplant diet is a medical necessity; however it need
not restrict your quality of life!
The modifications you need will be decided by your
transplant team. As the need for modifications change, you
and your registered dietitian will manage your nutritional
health with periodic follow-ups. After your transplant it is
important to maintain a lowfat, low-cholesterol, low-sodium
diet, just as before transplantation. Adherence to this diet
is very important.
Monthly UK HealthCare Heart/Lung Support Group meetings
offer additional support for patients and families. This group
of pre- and post-transplant patients, meets to discuss
different topics of concern. During support group meetings,
there will be open discussion and education with a wide
variety of UK HealthCare professionals involved in all levels
of care within the transplant process. You and your support
person are HIGHLY encouraged to attend these meetings.
A patient ambassador program is also a beneficial support
group of transplant patients that have agreed to meet new
candidates and discuss the transplant process from a
patient perspective.
Whatever your decision is for transplant, we are pleased
that you have chosen UK HealthCare to be a part of your
health care team.
For additional information about transplantation:
Contact the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)
at 888-894-6361 (toll free), or visit their website at
www.unos.org.
www.transplantliving.org
17
Contact us
859-323-4620 | 24 hours a day/7 days a week
859-330-2484 | 24 hours a day/7 days a week
800-456-5287 | Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.