Heart Transplant Tests at University of Colorado Hospital

Heart transplant patients may receive the following tests throughout the heart transplant process.

Common Heart Transplant Tests

Chest X-Ray

Provides a full picture of your heart and lungs.

Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG)

Shows the pattern of electrical waves in your heart. Your cardiologist interprets these patterns to evaluate how your heart is working.

Pulmonary Function Test

Measures how well your lungs are working and determines your blood’s capacity to carry oxygen. You will be asked to breath into various machines to determine results.

Gated Blood Pool Scan (MUGA)

Measures how well the left and right ventricles of your heart pump blood. A radioactive dye will be injected into your veins and a machine will take pictures of your heart.

Oxygen Consumption Exercise Test

Provides information about the physical limitation caused by your heart failure. You will walk on a treadmill and we will monitor your oxygen use and breathing.

Cardiac Catheterization

Measures pressures in your heart and lungs that help us determine what size your new heart should be or if there will be problems with your lungs working against your new heart. A tube is inserted into a large blood vessel in your groin or neck.

Angiogram

Gives the cardiologist a picture of your arteries and any narrowing or blockages that should be considered. This may be done as a part of the cardiac catheterization. Dye will be injected into the inserted tube and then X-rays are taken of your heart.

Ultrasound with Doppler Examination

Uses sound waves to examine the bile ducts, as well as the liver’s veins and arteries. It is commonly done in all liver transplant recipients before and after transplantation.

Noninvasive Vascular Studies

Performed on patients 50 years and older to determine if your heart failure is caused by a build up of plaque in the arteries of the heart. An ultrasound-like machine measures the blood flow in your carotid arteries (vessels that supply blood to the brain) and in the vessels in your legs.

Blood Tests

Check your blood count, blood and tissue type, blood chemistries, immune system function and certain infectious diseases.

Tissue Typing

Determines blood type and genetic make-up. These tests determine the compatibility between donor and recipient. You can only receive a heart of a donor that is compatible with your blood type.

Kidney Function Studies

Determine if your kidneys are working correctly. This involves blood tests and a 24-hour urine collection.

Abdominal Ultrasound

Performed on patients 50 years and older or patients with a history of gallbladder disease to check for gallstones or inflammation of your gallbladder.