Coming to the hospital for an intestinal transplant
Get ready…
The wait for a new intestine can be long. Once you are on the waiting list, the transplant surgeon and gastroenterologist will be open to offers for an intestine. As soon as an offer for an intestine is accepted, an organ procurement coordinator will contact you by phone.
Get set...
- Be prepared ahead of time to leave the house as soon as possible, ideally within 15 minutes. It is helpful to have a bag packed.
- Remember, do not give your child anything to eat or drink after we call you for the transplant.
Go!
- When the organ procurement coordinator calls you, he or she will direct you to the Admitting Department or the Emergency Department to be registered. Once you arrive, the team will be waiting to begin preparing your child for surgery.
- A lot of things need to happen in a short time before surgery, including a chest X-ray, blood tests, vital signs, height, weight, etc. As soon as your child is ready, we will take you and your child down to the second floor to surgery.
- Your child will go into the operating room while you and your family will go to the surgery waiting room, which is also on the second floor. It is good to take breaks with your family to eat and rest. Someone will periodically come out of the operating room to update you on the progress.
- After surgery, your child will recover in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Though you will see your child pass by the surgery waiting room in bed, you may need to wait another hour before visiting. It can often take that long to safely and comfortably settle your child in the unit.