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We schedule interviews for you to meet with several members of the lung transplant team. You will be introduced to members of the Thoracic Surgical Group and Pulmonary Physicians. Over the course of your evaluation you will also be interviewed by a nutrionist, a social worker, psychiatrist and an infectious disease physician as discussed below. Additionally, you are evaluated for a pulmonary rehabilitation program which is a major component of preparation for a lung transplant.
At the same time that your diagnostic tests are being conducted, consultations are also scheduled for you.
An infectious disease specialist will interview you briefly to review your infectious disease history. This includes your usual childhood diseases, such as German measles, chicken pox, measeles, and mumps. He or she will inquire about any foreign travel immunizations or vaccinations in the past, or exposure to any occupational or infectious hazards.
A member of the psychiatry staff will interview you to assess your particular style of coping, stress management, and relaxation. Psychological testing is conducted as a component of the evaluation. He or she will discuss the emotional concerns that you have regarding your lung transplantation. Appropriate referrals can be made should you feel that you need ongoing counseling to help you during this time.
Prior to lung transplantation, as a part of your initial evaluation, you will have a chance to meet with the transplant dietician. During this initial interview, you will discuss your weight, your weight change history, the foods you typically eat and your appetite. At this time you will also receive information about the amount of calories and protein you will need to maintain your current nutrional status, as well as your required weight gain or weight loss, whichever is appropriate for you. When possible, it is recommended that you try to obtain a weight that falls within the limits of your ideal body weight (IBW) for your height range.
The Social Worker for our Lung Transplant Program will meet you to review the program in detail and to provide any patient educational needs which you will require preoperatively. During your hospital stay, the Social Worker will work closely with your Primary Nurse and other Transplant Team members to monitor your progress and to begin to address your discharge needs. She also continues to follow your progress in the clinic setting along with the Transplant Physicians once you are discharged.
The Thoracic Surgeons who perform the lung transplantation will meet with you for a surgical consultation. They will discuss any previous abdominal or chest surgery that you may have had and describe the surgical plan for your transplantation. The Thoracic Surgeon reviews your medical plan of care daily with the surgical resident and nursing staff. Additionally, he will see you in clinic after discharge.
Persons with cystic fibrosis are required to consult with an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist. If minor sinus surgery is required, a short hospital stay is arranged.
Long-standing lung disease can strain your heart so you will need to be evaluated by the Transplant Cardiologist. He or she will examine you and will also review your medical history, electrocardiogram, and echocardiogram. The cardiologist may recommend that you have a further study of your heart with a procedure called a cardiac catheterization. This procedure would be scheduled by the Division of Cardiology and may require an overnight stay in the hospital.
As you can see, this workup is quite extensive. It requires a great deal of coordination, time and effort by the Transplant Team members, but most importantly by you and your family or friends. Our goal is to complete your evaluation quickly and to do so without exhausting you. Your safety, comfort, and state of mind are very important to us during this exciting, but often exhausting time.
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NOTICE: This email is not for medically related issues. Comments or concerns regarding patient-related care should be directed to the Thoracic Surgery Clinic at 617-732-6824.
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Division of Thoracic Surgery
Brigham and Women's Hospital
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115