Find out what recovery is like after a liver transplant

After a liver transplant, the person may have a life relatively close to normal, being able to study, work and form a family. However, there are some special precautions that must be adopted to ensure the health of the transplanted person, thus improving their quality of life.

Hospital recovery

Immediately after surgery, the person who received the 'new' liver should be admitted to the ICU for 1 to 2 weeks, where the pressure, blood glucose level, blood clotting, kidney function and others that are important to check if the person can be checked is fine and can go home.

In the first 3 days it is normal for the person to remain connected to breathing apparatus and to have tubes to feed and empty the bladder. In this unit, doctors will be able to perform several tests daily to check how the person is recovering from the transplant.

When the person is stable, they can be discharged from the ICU and can be kept in the hospital room or go home where they should continue their recovery, and return to the doctor every week for an evaluation and tests to assess whether the liver is functioning properly.

Physiotherapy can be indicated to improve breathing capacity and decrease the risk of motor complications such as muscle stiffness and shortening, thrombosis and others. This should be guided by a physiotherapist and devices can be used and exercises can also be performed to achieve these goals.

Home recovery

Recovery after transplantation is delicate because you have to take immunosuppressants for life because, normally, the body reacts to the new organ by attacking it.

These drugs are called immunosuppressants and act on the immune system, weakening it, which can increase the risk of infections. Adjusting the dose of these drugs can take some time because the goal is for the body to be able to defend itself against viruses and bacteria, but without rejecting the transplanted liver.

Some medicines that can be used are prednisone, cyclosporine, azathioprine, globulins and monoclonal antibodies, but the dose varies from one person to another because it depends on a number of factors that must be evaluated by the doctor such as the disease that led to the transplant, age, weight and other diseases such as heart problems and diabetes.

Side effects of medications

With the use of immunosuppressants, symptoms such as body swelling, weight gain, increased amount of body hair, especially on the face of women, osteoporosis, poor digestion, hair loss and thrush can occur. Thus, one should observe the symptoms that appear and talk to the doctor so that he can indicate what can be done to control these unpleasant symptoms, without jeopardizing the immunosuppression scheme.

What can happen after the transplant

After this procedure, complications can arise, such as rejection of the 'new' organ that manifests itself through hemorrhages, thrombosis, infections, changes in the functioning of bile, hypertension, the appearance of cancer and the installation of viruses and bacteria that cause hepatitis in the 'new' liver.

Necessary care

The person who received an organ should not consume alcoholic beverages and should make no effort. Physical activity should be light and indicated by a physical education professional, and the diet should be as healthy as possible.

See other important precautions:

How long to wait

The survival rate after a liver transplant basically depends on the condition of the patient before surgery and the quality of the transplanted organ, and therefore, after surgery, many tests must be carried out to verify whether the patient really benefited from the transplant.

In addition, the patient must continue to be followed by the oncologist and the hepatologist to monitor the evolution of the new liver and whether the health problems that led to the transplant were solved.

When transplantation is indicated

Liver transplantation can be indicated when the organ is severely compromised and stops working, as it can happen in case of cirrhosis, fulminant hepatitis or cancer in this organ, in people of any age, including children.

There is an indication for transplantation when drugs, radiotherapy or chemotherapy are unable to restore their proper functioning. In this case, the patient must continue performing the treatment proposed by the doctor and carrying out the necessary tests until a compatible liver donor appears, who is within the ideal weight and without any health problem.

The transplant can be indicated in case of acute or chronic diseases, which have little chance of appearing again after a transplant, such as:

• Liver cirrhosis; Metabolic diseases; Sclerosing cholangitis; Biliary atresia; Chronic hepatitis; Liver failure.

This procedure can be done with the liver of a living person or a person with brain death. However, transplantation between patients is only indicated when the recipient is a baby or child because, in this case, a part of an adult organ is enough to replace a child's liver.

Some diseases that may not be suitable for transplantation are hepatitis B because the virus tends to settle in the 'new' liver, in case of cirrhosis caused by alcoholism because if the person continues to drink heavily the 'new' organ will also be damaged.

Thus, the doctor must indicate when the transplant can or cannot be performed based on the person's liver disease and the person's general health.

What are the risks

There are many risks during a transplant, which can take about 12 to 24 hours. Risks can be:

• Infarction during surgery; Malfunction of the liver; Risk of sepsis, which occurs when bacteria spread throughout the body causing infections.

In order to perform the transplant, tests are carried out to find out the compatibility between the blood and tissue of the donor and recipient, and then the organ is removed from the donor and implanted in the recipient's body. After the transplant the person who received the liver must take immunosuppressive drugs for life to prevent their own body from rejecting the organ.

How to prepare for transplant

To prepare for this type of procedure, a good diet should be maintained, avoiding foods rich in fat and sugar, giving preference to vegetables, fruits and lean meats. In addition, it is important to inform the doctor of any symptoms that are present so that he can investigate and initiate appropriate treatment.

When the doctor comes in contact, calling the person for the transplant, he must immediately stop eating and drinking, stay on full fast and go to the indicated hospital as soon as possible to carry out the procedure.

The person who will receive the donated organ must have a companion of legal age and bring all the necessary documents to be admitted to receive the organ. After surgery it is normal for the person to be in the ICU for at least 10 to 14 days.