Total Artificial Heart - Before Surgery - Before Surgery

If you are not already in the hospital, you will likely spend at least a week in the hospital to prepare for the TAH surgery. You will continue to take any heart medicines your doctor gave you. During this time, you will learn about the TAH that you are getting and how to live with it.

You and your loved ones will meet with your surgeons, your cardiologist, and other doctors and nurses who specialize in the heart. The members of your healthcare team will provide you with the information that you need before surgery, including steps you need to take at home to prepare. You can ask to see what the device looks like and how it will be attached inside your body.

Your doctors will make sure that your body is strong enough for the surgery. You may need to get extra nutrition through a feeding tube.

You may have the following tests before your surgery:

  • Blood tests. Doctors use these tests to determine your blood type for any blood you may need during surgery and to check how well your liver and kidneys are working. The tests will also show your blood cell levels, as well as important chemicals in your blood.
  • Chest computed tomography (CT) scan. This test takes pictures of the inside of your chest. Doctors use these pictures to make sure that the TAH, which is large, will fit in your chest.
  • Chest MRI. This test creates detailed pictures of the organs in your chest, including your heart, lungs, and blood vessels.
  • Chest x ray. This test also takes pictures of the inside of your chest. Doctors use these pictures to check your lungs, your heart, and your major arteries.
  • Electrocardiogram. Doctors use this test to monitor your heart’s rhythm. It can show how well your ventricles are working before surgery.
  • Echocardiogram. This test uses sound waves to create moving pictures of your heart. It shows the movement of the blood through your heart and major blood vessels to see, for example, whether there are any blockages.
  • Pulmonary function tests. These tests measure how well your lungs work to help determine your risk for needing a ventilator for a long time after the surgery.