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Last updated: 11/24/2009
Lung and cardiac function are drastically improved after transplantation. Strenuous exercise may still be limited, but quality of life is greatly improved. Of all heart-lung transplant recipients, 90% are satisfied with their decisions to undergo...
the transplantation procedure. The patient will continue with medical visits frequently throughout the first year, including required tissue biopsies and cardiac catheterizations. The frequency of medical visits will decrease after the first year, but invasive medical procedures will still be necessary. Medications to suppress rejection of the organs and prevent infection are continued.
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The animated video, narrated by a physician, describes the two main types of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic strokes are further subdivided into thrombotic strokes and embolic strokes while hemorrhagic strokes are classified into subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracerebral hemorrhage. The location of the stroke in the brain directly influences the kind and degree of neurological deficit, which is discussed.
Chest is opened to expose the diseased heart and lung to be removed (A). Heart and lung function is taken over by a heart-lung machine. Major blood vessels are severed, and the heart is removed (B). Bronchus and blood vessels leading to the lung are severed, and the lung is removed (C). Donor heart and lung are placed in the patient's the chest cavity (D). They are sutured to their appropriate connections, and the heart is restarted before the patient is taken off the heart-lung machine (E). (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
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A heart-lung transplant is a procedure carried out to replace both heart and lungs in a single operation. Due to a shortage of suitable donors, it is a rare procedure; only about a hundred such transplants are performed each year in the USA.
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