Heart Lung Clinic (Transplant Services)
The Heart and Lung Transplant Unit at St Vincent's Hospital has a variety of online resources and services to support transplant patients throughout their recovery.
Please read our:
In addition, you can find information about:
Heart and Lung Clinic Information
If you are unwell, please call before presenting to the clinic.
Clinic Hours: Monday to Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm
Phone: 02 8382 3158 (Transplant Coordinators) or 02 8382 3835 (Transplant Workup Nurses)
After hours phone: Please call the SVH switchboard 02 8382 1111 & ask for the ‘Transplant Coordinator/ Heart or Lung Registrar On-call'
Pathology results (external)
As a transplant recipient, you need to have ongoing tests and monitoring to check your health.
Tests that you have outside the hospital are known as external pathology.
External pathology can be blood tests, sputum test, swabs or other types of tests.
Completing the External Pathology for Transplant Recipients Form
If you have had external pathology, please complete the External Pathology for Transplant Recipients Form so your transplant team and doctor can receive and review your test results.
When you are requesting your external pathology, remember to:
- Use Pathology Request forms we provide - please do not use a form provided by your GP
- Ask for your pathology to collected at SydPath or Laverty - this helps us receive the results easily.
When your transplant team receive and review your test results, they will:
- Phone you if there are any changes - this call may come from a private number
- Contact you via text or email if your blood test results are normal - this means that you do not need to change anything
- Tell you when you need to have further bloods taken - and help you arrange the test appointment necessary.
Online Scripts
If you need to request a transplant medication script outside of your regular doctor's visits, use the Heart-Lung Clinic Scriptline Request Form.
The Lung Transplant Medicines Access Table outlines which lung transplant medicines you access from St Vincent's Hospital and which medicines you access from your local pharmacy.
Please note:the first five questions are mandatory. From question 6 onwards, ONLY complete the medication requests that you need.
- Allow a 10-day turn around for scripts – always check your medication levels so you know when you are running low
- Always check the correct medication, frequency and dosage before submitting the form – pay particular attention to Tacrolimus and Tacrolimus XL and Azithromycin and Azathioprine
This form is only for transplant medications. Please continue request any non-transplant medication from your regular GP.
If you have any issues or require assistance completing this form, please email the Clinic Nurses: hltxscriptline@svha.org.au
Telehealth appointments
Telehealth appointments are offered in many St Vincent's Hospital clinics and programs. This means that you can attend your appointment from your home, local GP or health service. If you live in a regional or rural area, this may be a suitable option for your appointments.
Speak to your clinician to find out if telehealth is suitable for you. Visit our Telehealth page for more information.
Writing to the donor family
As a transplant recipient, you may wish to contact your donor family and express your thanks by writing a letter.
Both donor family and recipients can write anonymous letters to each other.
Confidentiality needs to be maintained, as this is the current legal requirement in all states and territories in Australia.
For more information about writing to the donor family, read Donate Life's Correspondence Guidelines for Transplant Recipients brochure.
If you would like to write a letter to your donor family, you can either:
Writing to your donor family is an emotional step. To help, we’ve recorded a video to guide you through this process in your Transplant Rehab Program.
Remember: Taking the time after your transplant to recover, adjust and look after your health, and the organ you have received, is the best way to honour the gift that your donor has given you.
Online Transplant Rehabilitation Program
When you’ve had a transplant, you need ongoing management for the rest of your life to stay healthy and live long. This can be overwhelming, but we’re here to help.
To assist you in getting started on the next stage of your transplant journey, we’ve created the 4-week St Vincent’s Hospital Transplant Rehab Program – a supervised online program that supports recipients, families and carers.
We’ve designed this online program to support you during your recovery in the absence of face to face education sessions.
All transplant recipients need to complete this program, as it contains essential information about your health and recovery.
How the program works
Every week, for four weeks, you’ll need to watch a series of videos about transplant recovery and health.
After each video, you will complete a short quiz that demonstrates you’ve understood the video content.
Accessing the program
To receive a username and password, please email the Heart Lung Clinic or phone (02) 8382 3158.
To access the online transplant program simply:
- Go to the SVH Lung Transplant Members Area
- Enter the Username and Password provided.
Managing your Wellbeing in Hospital
Having a transplant is a journey that can take unexpected turns – even despite your best intentions and following all your doctor’s advice. Being readmitted to hospital can be a challenging time for you and your loved ones.
When you’re back in hospital, it’s normal to feel a range of emotions, including worry, uncertainty, sadness, frustration, loneliness, pain or guilt.
The St Vincent's Hospital Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Team have developed a resource to help you to Manage your Wellbeing in Hospital.
View the resource here: Manage your Wellbeing in Hospital.
If you require additional support in hospital, speak to your transplant team. Phone 02 8382 3158 (Transplant coordinators) or 02 8382 3835 (Transplant workup nurses).