Keeping Your Renal Transplant Healthy
Proper Preparation and Care are Keys to a Well-Kept Kidney
Nov 15, 2009
The call for your long-awaited, new kidney could come at any time of day or night. Proper preparation and care before, during, and after renal transplantation are the keys to sustaining a healthy, transplanted kidney and a long life.
Prepare for Your Renal Transplant
It’d be most beneficial to register on the kidney transplant list as soon as you’ve been diagnosed with end stage renal disease (ESRD)-even if you’re not sure that you really want to receive a kidney transplant. This step is extremely important, as time is of the essence. The waiting time for a kidney transplant has been difficult to gauge, but it’s estimated to be around 4-6 years. The earlier you get on the transplant list, the earlier you may start accruing time. Should you ultimately decide against a renal transplant, you can always opt out.
While preparing for your renal transplant, it is important to comply with your doctor’s orders and medical regime. Be sure to monitor your blood work closely, along with your nephrologist. Staying within the acceptable ranges for the constituents evaluated in your blood work can help bring about a hospital stay with fewer complications.
Hospital Care for Kidney Transplant Recipients
It’s always good to say a prayer before going into any type of surgery. Kidney transplant recipients may require additional dialysis treatments until their donated kidney’s function revs up. If there are no complications, your hospital stay could be as short as 4 days. Transplant recipients can expect to be monitored closely by their transplant team while in the hospital. Before recipients leave the hospital their transplant team will give them proper instructions on how to care for themselves and their incision site.
What to Expect Post Renal-Transplant
Transplant recipients can rejoice in knowing that their dialysis diet and fluid restrictions will be lifted post renal-transplantation. It is imperative though, that they continue to exercise their vascular access to maintain its integrity (transplant recipients never know if they will need to use this access again in the future). A transplant recipient’s medication may include: anti-organ rejection medications; vitamin and mineral supplements, and medications for other pre-existing conditions. Be sure to follow your doctor’s advice and take all medications regularly, at the times allocated (by your physician).
Patient Responsibilities After Renal Transplantation
Kidney transplant recipients should limit their salt intake and continue to monitor their blood pressure (for the duration of their lifetime). Although transplant recipients no longer require dialysis, they continue to be highly susceptible to edema and diabetes.
Proper measures are required (of the renal transplant recipients and their physicians) to ensure that the following are ensued:
- Limit weight gain
- Control blood pressure
- Control blood glucose levels
- Follow doctor’s orders
- Attend all scheduled doctor’s appointments
Patients can expect to be closely monitored when they are admitted to the hospital for transplant surgery. They will continue to be closely monitored after being discharged from the hospital. A typical follow-up appointment schedule consists of transplant recipients seeing their transplant team twice a week, every week. It then tapers down to once, weekly; then once a month, once every 2 months, once every 4 months, etc. (at the same time transplant recipients will be expected to see their nephrologist until they are eventually released back into the sole care of the nephrologist.
Disclaimer
This article is intended for informational purposes only. It does not take the place of a doctor’s advice. Before making decisions regarding your health, seek the consultation of a well-trained, medical professional.
Internal Links
- http://generalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/blood_tests
- http://chronic-illness-treatments.suite101.com/article.cfm/a_guide_to_understanding_your_vascular_access
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