Transplant Institute
The Transplant Institute, part of the Department of Surgery, offers nationally recognized patient care, research programs, and education and training opportunities.
After Organ Transplant
Everything you need to know following surgery
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Post-Transplant Healing & Wellness is a Lifelong Process
The road to getting an organ transplant can be a bumpy one. It’s often long, and often difficult. So when you get your transplant surgery, it might feel like your journey is finally over. Really, though, it’s just the beginning.
A successful organ transplant requires a lifetime of care and commitment. At the Transplant Institute of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), we partner with you and your family to make caring for yourself and your new organ as easy as possible.
Our team of organ transplant specialists is at your side from the moment you leave the operating room. And through your hospital discharge, ongoing follow-up and long-term recovery, we stay by your side. You can rely on us for the information, medical care and support you need to thrive.
Immediate Post-Transplant Recovery
After surgery, you go to Farr 10, our dedicated inpatient recovery unit. But first, you have a brief stay in our post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) or surgical intensive care unit (SICU).
In both the PACU and SICU, doctors and nurses carefully monitor you after surgery. Our SICU offers more intense observation. The type of transplant you have determines which unit your surgeon chooses for you. Generally, you stay in the PACU or SICU for 24 hours or less. This timing may vary depending on your progress.
Post-Transplant Recovery After Leaving the Hospital
Education is a key part of care after your transplant. Before you’re discharged, you and your family will join a mandatory teaching session with your transplant coordinator.
In addition, our Post-Transplant Care at Home program, helps you develop the skills needed to properly care for yourself at home. We provide guidance on topics, such as medications, well-water safety, and diet and nutrition after transplant. We also make sure you understand signs of potential problems and when to call us. The information can be helpful even if you first transition to inpatient rehabilitation or a skilled nursing facility where you regain your strength and continue your recuperation. If you go straight home, we may recommend a visiting nurse check in with you periodically.
Specific discharge instructions, transplant after care and follow-up visit schedules depend on the type of transplant you have:
In general, you can expect lab tests at least twice a week, and weekly follow-up visits for at least the first six to eight weeks. We do ultrasound exams for each of these organ transplants to look for signs of rejection. Typically, you get the results of these exams the next day.
In the early weeks of your recovery, you’ll need help with rides, medications and certain aspects of your care. Family members should know that they may need to take time off work or school.
Take One Day at a Time
It’s important to include all of your closest family and friends in your recovery plan. Although some people may assume your health is fine now that the surgery is over, remember that you need to be patient during the early phases of your recovery. Follow the advice of your doctors and nurses. You’ll feel better as time goes on, but it will take a while.
You may have some setbacks and feel discouraged. Share your feelings with your family, others who are close to you and your doctors and nurses. If you have concerns, talk to your transplant social worker or psychologist. They will help you work through your feelings.
Your transplant team makes sure you’re well prepared to be at home. If you have any questions or medical concerns, don’t hesitate to call us — your doctor, nurse coordinator or social worker. You have a lot of information to learn and understand. We’re always here to help.
More About After Organ Transplant
Protecting Your Health at Home
We offer general advice to follow by anyone who gets an organ transplant. It’s outlined in the information sheet linked below and available in several languages. You can find more details about activity restrictions and what to avoid after transplant, continuing your recovery and many of the questions or concerns you and your family are likely to have after your surgery. If you have other questions or don’t understand something, please contact your nurse coordinator.
- Discharge instructions — English
- Discharge instructions — Chinese (Traditional)
- Discharge instructions — Haitian Creole
- Discharge instructions — Portuguese
- Discharge instructions — Russian
- Discharge instructions — Spanish
- Discharge instructions — Vietnamese
More details are available for you on a variety of related topics:
- Nutrition and food safety. Immediate recommendations for nutrition after surgery and long-term food and water safety guidance.
- Your post-transplant medications. Immediate and long-term guidance on the medications you must take, including anti-rejection drugs.
Daily Health Tracking
Your transplant team will give you a daily tracking chart to take home with you. We’ll teach you how to collect these measurements. On the chart, you track these and other details:
- Blood sugars
- Incision and tube site
- Temperature
- Tube drainage
- Urine
- Weight
It’s important to keep an accurate record every day. Doing so will help you identify early signs of a problem and allow your doctors and nurses to monitor your progress.
In order to complete the chart accurately:
- Check your incision and tube site for an increase in redness and unusual drainage.
- Measure the amount of fluid draining from your tube site if you have one.
- Take your temperature once a day at the same time of day.
- Test your blood sugar twice a day (once in the morning before eating, called a fasting blood sugar, and once in the late afternoon).
- Weigh yourself at the same time every day on the same scale wearing the same amount of clothing.
Be sure to bring your chart to your follow-up visits.
Preventing Long-Term Complications
Long-term complications after a transplant are possible, so it’s important to keep a close eye on your physical health. It’s also very important that you know your body and how to take good care of it. The following details will help you recognize, prevent and handle some of the possible medical complications.
Chronic Transplant Damage
Transplants don’t always work for the rest of your life. But the longer your new organ works, the healthier you’ll be. Periodically forgetting to take your anti-rejection medications can dramatically reduce the lifespan of your new organ. Issues such as smoking, having high blood pressure and high blood sugar also can limit the life of your new organ.
We strongly recommend that you work with your team of doctors to control as many risks for transplant failure that you can. This will help you enjoy your new transplant for as long as possible.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure (hypertension) is common after an organ transplant. To help keep your blood pressure at healthy levels, you should:
- Avoid alcohol.
- Avoid gaining weight.
- Avoid smoking.
- Exercise regularly.
- Limit salt intake.
- Take any blood pressure medication your doctor prescribes.
- Try to limit stress in your life.
High Cholesterol
You may develop high cholesterol, or hyperlipemia, after an organ transplant. To help keep your cholesterol in check:
- Avoid smoking.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Exercise regularly.
- Take any cholesterol-lowering medication your doctor prescribes.
Diabetes
If you’re diagnosed with diabetes after your transplant, you should:
- Exercise regularly.
- Follow the diet your doctor or nutritionist recommends.
- Take any medication your doctor prescribes to control your blood sugar.
Cancer
After your transplant, you have a higher-than-normal risk of developing certain types of cancer, such as skin cancer. Rarely, lymphoma (lymph node cancer) develops. Women also may have an increased risk of cervical cancer. Avoiding sun tanning or getting a sunburn is the most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of skin cancer.
It's also important to watch for possible signs of cancer, including:
- A lump in your breast.
- A lump in your testicle.
- Blood in your stools.
- Continually swollen glands (lymph nodes) anywhere on your body.
- Moles, birthmarks or spots on the skin that change color or increase in size or thickness.
- Sores that continue to itch, hurt, crust, scab or bleed, or that do not heal within three weeks.
Talk to your primary care doctor if you notice any of these changes. For more information on cancer, visit the American Cancer Society. To learn more about skin cancer, visit the AT-RISC Alliance. The alliance offers education to reduce the incidence and severity of skin cancer in transplant recipients. Our Transplant Dermatology Multidisciplinary Clinic is also here to help. Focusing on both prevention and treatment, the clinic brings together a team of specialists to address your risk of skin cancer.
Exercising After an Organ Transplant
Exercise can be helpful for your recovery. It will take time to regain strength and endurance after a transplant, but eventually you can resume your normal activities.
Walking and stair climbing are great exercises to keep muscle tone and strength. When you first arrive home after your transplant, consider walking five to 10 minutes a day. You can slowly increase the time you walk each week. It’s normal to tire easily so you should rest when tired.
Don’t begin strenuous exercises, such as contact sports, jogging, tennis or weightlifting, for at least two months after your operation.
Financial Issues and Concerns
Out-of-pocket costs for a transplant can vary. They’re based on whether you have insurance or whether you are eligible for Medicare or Medicaid coverage.
We understand that finances can be a major concern. Good planning may help reduce your stress over money, and our financial counselors are here to help. The counselor reviews your financial situation and addresses your concerns. They also can connect you to available resources.
Together, we can help you manage the financial impact of your illness, transplant surgery and long-term recovery.
Life After Transplant
For the rest of your life after a transplant, you need ongoing follow-up care and monitoring. It can help you live longer and have a better quality of life. We’re here to provide that. But you have an important role in maintaining your health, as well. Following your health care team’s advice, keeping your appointments and working closely with us are essential to long-term organ transplant success.
Protecting your emotional well-being is important as well. Our mental health services and support groups can help you.
We often study ways to improve care for people after their transplant. You may wish to join a clinical trial.
