Overview of Transplant
First Visit: Consultation
The outpatient consultation visit is important because it will enable you to become acquainted with our program and personnel firsthand. We recommend that at least one family member or significant other accompany you for this visit. If your stem cell donor is a member of your family, we also recommend that the donor be present. If your medical records from your referring physician have not been sent to us, we will ask you to bring them with you.
| You will first be seen in our outpatient clinic by one of our physician assistants (PA), who follows patients throughout the course of the transplant procedure. The PA will record your medical history and perform a physical examination. Testing to determine eligibility for transplantation, such as blood tests, a chest x-ray, pulmonary function tests, and a bone marrow test may be done or scheduled at this visit if they are necessary. This information will be reviewed with a staff physician to determine your eligibility for transplantation. |
When you visit us at the University of Iowa
Hospitals and Clinics, we will meet you in our
Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.
This is the reception area in the Holden
Comprehensive Cancer Center and is located
on the 5th floor of the Pappajohn Pavilion |
Next, there will be a meeting between you and one of our staff physicians. Your family or significant other is also encouraged to be present. In this informational session the transplant course and the expectations, risks, and benefits that may be associated with the procedure and your disease will be discussed in detail. Treatments other than transplantation may also be discussed. The intent of this session is to provide you with the medical information necessary to make the treatment decision, "Do I want a transplant?", "Do I need more time to think?", or "Do I not want a transplant?"
Time will also be spent with our patient coordinator who will begin the process of orienting you to transplantation from the nursing point of view. The patient coordinator, in conjunction with your PA, will be the primary contact people for you in arranging the details of your admission to the transplant unit as well as your follow up care after your transplant when you leave the hospital.
Finally, you and your family will meet and spend some time with our transplant social worker who will initiate some discussion about the psychological, social, and emotional issues that may confront you and your family during stem cell transplantation and recovery. The social worker will also provide you with information on housing, finances, and other preparations that may be necessary prior to your admission.
Your visit will be completed within one working day and generally takes three to five hours. The results of all of the tests that you will have done will not be known for several days. We will contact you when the results are available.
After your consultation visit with our stem cell transplant staff, you and your family are encouraged to discuss this option of treatment amongst yourselves and with your referring physician before making a final decision. It is possible that our transplant staff may suggest a delay in the transplant or that you may seek other forms of therapy. Once a mutual decision is made to go ahead with transplantation, the Patient Coordinator will work with you and our transplant team to set a date for your admission to our hospital.
Prior to your admission, there is one more visit to the outpatient clinic. This is the pre-admission consultation. During the pre-admission consultation, additional testing will be done to measure the baseline function of your heart, lungs, liver (not done for every patient). Also, you will meet again with a Physician Assistant and Patient Coordinator to review and sign consents for studies in which you have agreed to participate.
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