title: [Heart transplantation: psychosocial correlations in the postoperative period].
abstract: Heart transplantation offers not only increased quantity but also highly improved quality of life. Nevertheless, it should not be seen as a panacea. Postoperatively the patients and their spouses face and have to overcome profound psychosocial problems. In this paper the five most important phases in the emotional adjustment to heart transplantation are discussed as to their significance for the patient, the patient's relationship to his/her partner and in view of the care by the medical team. These phases are a. the early postoperative period, b. rejection episodes, c. the postoperative inpatient phase, d. discharge and e. the first postoperative year. The paper highlights the difficulty of and the necessity for psychological care of heart transplant patients to reassure them emotionally and support them during phases of psychological instability.
authors.affiliation: Allgemeines Krankenhaus der Stadt Wien, Universitätsklinik für Chirurgie, Abteilung für Herz- und Thoraxchirurgie.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bunzel
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000523:psychology; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008393:Marriage; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012944:Social Support
vernacular_title: Herztransplantation: psychosoziale Korrelate der postoperativen Zeit.