Transplant Selection Committee
The MUSC Heart Transplant Selection Committee meets every Thursday afternoon to discuss the patients who have been evaluated as potential heart transplant candidates. This committee is made up of all the consultants who saw the patient during the evaluation process; the heart transplant surgeon, the transplant cardiologist, dietician, financial coordinator, social worker, psychiatrist, transplant coordinator, and any other consultant found necessary.
All the patient's test results and consult findings are reviewed and evaluated. The transplant committee will come back with one of three findings:
The patient is not a suitable transplant candidate. This may be due to psycho-social reasons, serious contraindications such as; cancer found on evaluation, or the patient may be too well.
The patient is a good candidate and we see no reason why they can not be listed for heart transplant.
The patient is a suitable candidate; however, before they can be listed they must complete certain tasks, such as; lose weight, do fundraising for housing/medications, have further testing because of some irregularity that was found during the evaluation.
After the patient is presented at committee, the findings will be called to the patient on Friday. The patient will be told exactly what their status is and why. If they are found to be a suitable candidate, they will be asked if they want to be listed for a heart transplant.
It is important for you to remember, just because you are evaluated does not mean you are approved as a transplant candidate and listed for transplant.
Your case must be presented at committee and you must be found to be a suitable candidate.
You will be called and notified of the findings of the selection committee. At this time, we may ask you if you want to be listed for transplant.
You will have to agree to be listed for transplant before we will put your name on the waiting list for a heart transplant in our state.