If your kid has a cardiac problem and requires a heart transplant, you are likely to experience a range of emotions, including concern, grief, frustration, and rage. All of these emotions might be overwhelming for a parent who is waiting for their kid to receive a new heart.
If you are one of these parents, you should know that your child will live a normal and healthy life after the procedure. To avoid issues, they may need to undergo frequent examinations and take medicines. For a better treatment you can consult with a Pediatrics hospital in Jaipur or to the best child hospital in Jaipur.
What exactly is heart transplant surgery?
A heart transplant is a medical operation in which your child’s ailing heart is removed and replaced with a healthy heart from a donor. This is done when your child’s heart isn’t operating properly and they require a new one to survive. End-stage paediatric heart disease or heart failure are other terms for it.
The new heart will be donated by an organ donor who opted to donate their organs in order to help someone who was unwell. Your child will have a normal life after a successful heart transplant treatment and recovery.
Prior to the heart transplant
When the doctor determines that your kid will not survive without a heart transplant, you will be referred to a transplant centre where you will meet the members of your transplant team. Members will include the following:
Cardiologists
Surgeon
Nurses
Dieticians
Coordination of transplants
Workers in social services
Psychologists
The first step is to ensure that your child is physically capable of undergoing surgery. They will conduct tests such as:
1. Blood tests used to determine blood type.
2. Echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to create a picture of the heart.
3. Electrocardiogram to record the electrical activity of the heart and detect cardiac muscle injury and arrhythmias.
4. Cardiac Catheterization, which involves inserting a catheter (a thin, plastic tube) into a blood artery and threading it into the heart to provide a clear picture of the heart and its chambers.
In other situations, the biopsy may consist of the doctor removing a tiny sample of tissue from the heart and examining it.
It is critical that you learn everything you can about your child’s condition. You must be aware of what will occur. The Rainbow Children’s Heart Institute staff will offer you with all of the information and assistance you require. You may always contact us if you don’t understand something or have an issue.
When the team determines that a heart transplant is the best option for your kid, the following step is to locate the heart. Your child’s name will be placed to the organ waiting list, which includes the names of everyone who is waiting for a heart. You may have to wait a while before finding a heart that suits your child. You must maintain contact with the cardiologists and the healthcare team during this period. It is critical that you act fast once a heart becomes available. Always keep a backpack packed in case you need to travel to the hospital right away.
You must maintain your child healthy while you wait for the transplant. They will be prepared for surgery when the time comes. This includes requiring them to consume nutritious meals, take all prescribed medications, and attend all medical appointments. Inform your doctor straight away if your child’s health changes.
The heart transplant procedure
Our team will begin preparing your kid for the surgery as soon as you arrive at the hospital. We might do certain tests to make sure the heart is a good match. Your kid will then be brought to the operating room, where they will be given anaesthetic to sleep during the procedure. The surgeon will remove the unhealthy heart through the incision in the chest and insert the new heart.
The replacement heart’s blood vessels will be stitched to the body’s blood vessels. After the physicians have examined the heart function, the incision will be closed. The entire treatment might take between 4 and 6 hours. Our staff will make certain that you are always kept updated.
Following the heart transplant
After the surgery, your kid will be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, where you will be able to visit them for small periods. A ventilator with a breathing tube will be installed so that physicians can determine whether or not the replacement heart is functioning properly. Your youngster might be in the intensive care unit for 7 to 10 days. They will then be transferred to the general ward.
Your child will have a normal and healthy life without congenital heart disease thanks to the heart transplant operation. They will feel better than they have ever felt before. Maintain frequent checkups with our cardiologists to verify that everything is in order.
