1300 - A Case for Expanding Access to Acute Rehab Post-Transplant

Thursday, February 19, 2026

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM AST

Co-Author(s)

NR

Navpreet Reehal, BA

Medical Student
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Hackettstown, New Jersey, United States
RC

Robert A. Castro, BA

Medical Student
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Presenting Author(s)

GH

Gabriel Howard, DO

Resident Physician
Temple University Hospital
Pipersville, Pennsylvania, United States

Submitter(s)

NR

Navpreet Reehal, BA

Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Hackettstown, New Jersey, United States

Case Diagnosis: Post-transplant acute rehab

Case Description: A 49-year-old male with a past medical history of nonischemic cardiomyopathy and orthotopic heart transplant presented to an acute care hospital with left sided facial droop and hemiparesis. Following recent heart transplantation, the patient was discharged to his home where his current symptoms developed. Imaging revealed right basal ganglia intracranial hemorrhage with midline shift requiring ventilator and tracheostomy support. He was noted to have 1/5 strength in his left upper extremity, and 3/5 strength is his left lower extremity diffusely. He was ultimately discharged to an acute inpatient facility for high intensity therapy for both cardiopulmonary and post-stroke rehabilitation. During his rehabilitation course, he demonstrated considerable improvement of his functional status with 4/5 strength in both his left upper and lower extremities and improvements in ADLs and ambulation. The patient was additionally able to wean respiratory support and undergo decannulation of his tracheostomy while in the inpatient rehabilitation setting.

Discussions:

Patients who have received organ transplantation are often medically complex with high risk of serious complications and often demonstrate significant rehabilitation needs. Despite a high degree of rehabilitative potential, organ transplant alone is not an approved CMS diagnosis, and these patients may not be immediately considered for inpatient rehabilitation. This case highlights the crucial role of multidisciplinary rehabilitation in addressing the complex medical needs associated with transplants and improving functional outcomes. Large academic institutions that are major sites for organ transplants care for many patients who have similarly benefited from a course of acute inpatient rehab post-transplant. Future research should focus on studying transplant recipients’ functional recovery after acute rehab to inform future policy and facilitate evidence-based decision-making.

Conclusions: Acute inpatient rehabilitation plays a vital role in optimizing recovery for transplant recipients. Increased access to this care could improve outcomes and address the unique challenges faced by these patients.