Patient's Guide to Heart Transplant Surgery

Lung Infections

Your lungs are the most common site for infections to develop after any transplant. In order to pickup on early signs of a lung infection, you will have daily chest x-rays taken for the first few days after the surgery and from time to time when you come to clinic. You will recall you will also be encouraged to exercise your lungs a lot after surgery to cut down on your chances of developing an infection.

Signs of lung infection that you must report to the doctor immediately include:

• A harsh cough in which you are bringing up mucus
• Shortness of breath
• A fever

> Next: Other "Opportunistic" Infections