Organ Transplant - Follow-Up Care

Organ transplant: aftercare & everyday life

Organ transplants have a very good chance of success and in most cases bring the patient a significant improvement in quality of life. A prerequisite for this is lifelong aftercare. The family doctor is involved in the aftercare. Specialists from the transplant center advise the patient as part of the follow-up care which precautionary measures must be observed in everyday life.

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• Taking medication properly
• Avoid infection
• Pay attention to your health in everyday life

Taking medication properly

It is important that the organ recipient reliably takes the prescribed medication (immunosuppressants) in order to prevent rejection of the transplanted organ. The patient is trained to recognize signs of complications on their own.

If there are complaints that indicate a rejection reaction, the patient must quickly contact the doctor in charge.

Symptoms of a rejection reaction include:

• Fever, signs of a cold,
• Pain,
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Water in the legs or stomach,
• Yellowing of the eyes or skin.

Avoid infection

The drugs required after a transplant weaken the immune system. This increases the risk of infections. Preventive measures against infection include careful personal hygiene, regular hand washing and protection against skin wounds. The doctors can order further precautionary measures, such as

• Avoiding large crowds and contact with pets,
• Wearing a face mask,
• careful kitchen hygiene or
• Vaccinations (influenza, pneumococci).

Pay attention to your health in everyday life

After a transplant, patients can contribute to staying healthy by adopting a healthy lifestyle. These include a healthy diet, normal weight, regular exercise and not smoking.

For some patients, living with a donated organ can be a psychological challenge. It is also important to cope with the necessary behavioral measures in everyday life. This psychological stress can make therapy by psychologists necessary in individual cases.

Normal sex life is possible after a transplant. When it comes to contraceptive methods, experts advise against using a hormone coil and diaphragm because of the increased risk of infection. If you wish to become pregnant, you should clarify with your doctor.