The purpose of clinic visits after a heart transplant is to monitor for rejection and closely screen for the side effects of the various medications. Since the incidence of rejection is the highest over the first few months, frequent clinic visits and biopsies are scheduled during the first year after transplant. Screening biopsies are currently the only reliable means to predict rejection.
Here is a typical follow-up schedule:
- Month 1: Weekly biopsy and clinic
- Month 2: Every other week biopsy and clinic
- Months 3-6: Monthly biopsy and clinic
- Months 6-12: Clinic once a month and biopsy every other month
- After 12 months: Heart biopsies
The purpose of clinic visits after a heart transplant is to monitor
for rejection and closely screen for the side effects of the
various medications. Since the incidence of rejection is the
highest over the first few months, frequent clinic visits...
More
The purpose of clinic visits after a heart transplant is to monitor for rejection and closely screen for the side effects of the various medications. Since the incidence of rejection is the highest over the first few months, frequent clinic visits and biopsies are scheduled during the first year after transplant. Screening biopsies are currently the only reliable means to predict rejection.