How the Heart Works
The heart is a strong and muscular organ that is about the size of a fist in adults. It pumps blood throughout the body and is located behind the breastbone between the lungs. Deoxygenated blood flows from the heart to the lungs where it gives up ... [... more]
Transplant Living |
How the Pancreas Works
The pancreas is a five to six inch gland located behind the stomach. The pancreas produces enzymes that are used for digestion, and insulin, which is essential for life because it regulates the use of blood sugar throughout the body. The chart ... [... more]
Transplant Living |
Selecting a Hospital
You do have choices when it comes to hospital care. The most important consideration in any choice is the individual's specific situation. Each patient has different needs, preferences and desires that need to be taken into account when selecting ... [... more]
Transplant Living |
Living Donation Types
Although not all transplant centers perform all types, living donation has expanded to include many variations since the practice began in 1954. These include: Many transplant centers perform these types of procedures, but may not have ... [... more]
Transplant Living |
During the Transplant
In the three decades since the first human heart transplant occurred in 1967, the procedure has changed from an experimental operation to an established treatment for advanced heart disease. They are now the the third most common organ transplant ... [... more]
Transplant Living |
Financing a Transplant
Financing a transplant raises many questions and concerns for patients and their families: Because costs start adding up, even before your transplant, it is common for patients to rely on several sources to help pay for all of the medical and ... [... more]
Transplant Living |
Pediatric Transplantation
Addressing Children's Needs Coping With Anxiety Helping Your Child Adjust Camps Children often have many questions about organ donation and transplantation. As parents, it can be challenging to know how to best support them during this stressful ... [... more]
Transplant Living |
Getting on the List
For most transplant candidates, the first step in receiving a transplant is to get on the OPTN/UNOS national transplant waiting list. The UNOS Organ Center maintains this list. All transplant candidates who do not have the option of a living ... [... more]
Transplant Living |
Staying Healthy With Your New Transplant
Although the decision to write your donor family is very personal, many transplant recipients want to know about the person who donated the organ they received. If you choose to write to your donor family, the following information guidelines may ... [... more]
Transplant Living |
Organ Facts
The kidneys are a pair of reddish-brown organs located on either side of the spine just below the diaphragm. They are bean-shaped and about 4 and 1/2 inches long, 2 and 1/2 inches wide and one inch thick. The primary function of the kidneys is to ... [... more]
Transplant Living |
Medications: Protecting Your Transplant
After transplants, the focus for patients transitions from waiting for a donor organ to learning how to manage medications and their side effects as part of daily life. The following links will provide you with helpful information to make this ... [... more]
Transplant Living |
During the Transplant
There are two very different surgical approaches to liver transplantation: the orthotopic and the heterotopic approach, both of which can take up to ten hours to complete. Because the length of this surgery is different for every patient, ... [... more]
Transplant Living |
