what exactly do transplant specialists do?

[copacetic]

I know that transplant is one of the sub specialites of cardiology. ive always wondered what exactly they do? i mean, i though surgeons did the transplants. do transplant fellows/attendings to postoperative care of transplant cases? what is the scope of their practice?

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[tibor75]

I know that transplant is one of the sub specialites of cardiology. ive always wondered what exactly they do? i mean, i though surgeons did the transplants. do transplant fellows/attendings to postoperative care of transplant cases? what is the scope of their practice?

Transplant goes with heart failure so I would say that the subspecialty is called "Heart Failure / Transplant"

First of all, a program that does transplants needs to designate to UNOS a cardiologist(s) that will be able to evaluate and list patients for transplant. Not any cardiologist can list a patient for transplant, even if they work at a transplant program.

While all cardiologists should/can take care of heart failure, certain cardiologists like to say that they are specialized in the care of "advanced" heart failure, better able to handle inotropes, vasodilators, ultrafiltration. Basically it means they are intrested in it, as opposed to many cardiologists who consider CHF patients to be the dregs of cardiology.

It depends upon the program as to when the transplant cardiologist takes over care of a transplant patient. At some, it is right away. At others, it is after a few months after transplant. It depends upon how interested the surgeons are in following their post-transplant patients. Long term, most surgeons have no interest in following patients who can live up to 10-20 years s/p transplant, and most cardiologist/internists have no idea how to manage these patients. so it falls upon the transplant cardiologist - who looks for rejection, but also needs to know how to manage the long term complications of immunosuppression, which are typically non-cardiac.

Lastly, a transplant cardiologist needs to be at an instituion that does transplant, mainly academic centers. so it's not a private practice career choice. If a CHF/transplant doc goes into PP eventually, he's basically doing general cards.

 

[copacetic]

Transplant goes with heart failure so I would say that the subspecialty is called "Heart Failure / Transplant"

First of all, a program that does transplants needs to designate to UNOS a cardiologist(s) that will be able to evaluate and list patients for transplant. Not any cardiologist can list a patient for transplant, even if they work at a transplant program.

While all cardiologists should/can take care of heart failure, certain cardiologists like to say that they are specialized in the care of "advanced" heart failure, better able to handle inotropes, vasodilators, ultrafiltration. Basically it means they are intrested in it, as opposed to many cardiologists who consider CHF patients to be the dregs of cardiology.

It depends upon the program as to when the transplant cardiologist takes over care of a transplant patient. At some, it is right away. At others, it is after a few months after transplant. It depends upon how interested the surgeons are in following their post-transplant patients. Long term, most surgeons have no interest in following patients who can live up to 10-20 years s/p transplant, and most cardiologist/internists have no idea how to manage these patients. so it falls upon the transplant cardiologist - who looks for rejection, but also needs to know how to manage the long term complications of immunosuppression, which are typically non-cardiac.

Lastly, a transplant cardiologist needs to be at an instituion that does transplant, mainly academic centers. so it's not a private practice career choice. If a CHF/transplant doc goes into PP eventually, he's basically doing general cards.

thanks that was very imformative