A kidney transplant is a procedure carried out to replace a fully damaged kidney with a healthy kidney from a donor. The kidney can be obtained from either a living or a deceased donor. If they are a suitable match, family members or other individuals may be able to donate one of their kidneys. Donors of kidneys can maintain their health with just one healthy kidney. One kidney is most frequently given to a transplant patient. He or she may, in exceptional circumstances, receive two kidneys from a deceased donor. The damaged kidneys are typically not removed. The transplanted kidney will then be placed in the lower belly of your body. After the transplantation, it may take some time to recover. Read below to know more about the kidney transplant recovery period:
What can you anticipate following transplant surgery?
Recovery at the hospital
You should plan on spending a few days or maybe even more than a week in the hospital. The transplant team will send you home if you are healing following the procedure. The time you spend in the hospital depends on whether you receive a kidney from a deceased or living donor. The typical hospital stay is 4 to 6 days if you are receiving a kidney from a living donor. Most recipients of kidneys from dead donors spend 6 to 10 days in the hospital.
Go to follow-up and visit your doctor regularly.
You need to set up follow-up appointments with your physician before or shortly after you leave the hospital. Your transplant centre will discuss the schedule with you. For instance, you might have lab work and doctor visits once or twice a week in the first month after you leave the hospital. Your weekly visits and blood draw will decrease with time. Make a plan to get to your follow-up appointments if you live a long way from the transplant centre. Ask your transplant centre about programmes and resources that can assist with your travel and housing.
Care for yourself during the recovery
When you get home from the hospital, you must carefully monitor your health. It’s crucial to adhere to the recommendations for after-surgery care for your body. This includes taking care of the incision site around your surgery. It also includes monitoring your temperature, blood pressure, weight, and the quantities of fluids you consume and urinate. To avoid contracting infections, you need to restrict your activity for a few weeks and stay away from those who you know are ill. Remember that immunosuppressive medications compromise your immune system, increasing your risk of contracting infections.
How do you know your replaced kidney is functioning?
Blood testing can tell you whether your donated kidney is functioning. You need to make an appointment to get your blood tested at the transplant facility before you leave the hospital. The results demonstrate how well your kidneys are eliminating waste products from your blood. You will initially require routine examinations and blood tests at the transplant clinic or from your physician. You need to undergo fewer examinations over time. From your blood tests, if you find your kidney is not eliminating wastes from your blood as effectively as it should. If you also have additional signs that your body is rejecting the donor’s kidney, your transplant doctor or nephrologist might recommend a kidney biopsy.
When can you resume your routine activities?
Within a month of your transplant, you will probably be able to resume some of your regular activities. These include:
- Exercising: Try to walk for 15 to 20 minutes when you get home each day, and then gradually increase that amount of time. Wait until your transplant team says that you can engage in vigorous activity or lift heavy weights.
- Returning to work or school: You should be able to go to work or school in less than two months. You can get advice from your transplant team on what is best for you.
- Driving: 2–4 weeks following your transplant, you can begin driving. The delay is due to the possibility that painkillers and other medicines you must take immediately following a transplant will impair your vision and create shaky hands.
- Travelling: You will typically be asked by your transplant team to wait 2-3 months before going on a trip and 6-12 months before leaving the country. Talk to your transplant team before you travel because you have an increased risk of contracting an infection. They can see to it that you receive sufficient medicine refills and any necessary vaccinations.
- Having sex: You should wait 4-6 weeks following your transplant, or until the place of your surgery is healed, before you engage in sexual activity. Discuss a birth control strategy that is suitable for you with your transplant team.
Donors’ recovery
Living kidney donors usually stay in the hospital for 1-2 days following the operation. During the healing process, you can experience some pain near your incision, but it should get better during the following days. Make sure to adhere to all discharge directions, including those regarding lifting large objects. In a week to ten days after discharge, the transplant team will schedule bloodwork and follow-up for you. The group will be back in six months, a year, and two years. Keep your appointments, and call your doctor right away if you have any issues or concerns. 3–4 weeks after surgery, donors can typically resume their jobs and regular routines.
Kidney Transplant in Turkey
Turkey is one of the best countries to get quality kidney transplant surgery at an affordable cost when compared to other tops medically developed countries like the USA and the UK. Top hospitals that perform kidney transplant in Turkey have the latest technologies and resources to perform successful kidney transplants for both domestic and international patients.
Bottom Line
Now you may have a clear understanding of the time to get recovery after a kidney transplant and also about the whole recovery process. Your physical and emotional health, daily activities, and other factors are significantly impacted by having a kidney transplant. As you prepare for a new life with a new kidney, it’s crucial to know how to best care for yourself. You should also consider many factors while choosing a hospital for your surgery, as it has a lifelong impact so take decisions carefully.