If I receive a kidney transplant, what do I need to do to prepare?
I. Choose a good transplant center
A good transplant center needs to meet the following conditions.
1. Large scale, experienced in transplantation and mature surgical techniques
2, able to accurately monitor the concentration of various drugs
3, to carry out transplant kidney biopsy, high level of pathological diagnosis, to correctly diagnose and deal with various post-operative complications
4.Ability to conduct regular follow-up according to international standards and adjust the dosage of immunosuppressants in a timely manner
5.Be able to quickly diagnose and treat various acute and serious diseases after kidney transplantation in the form of green channel
Choosing a good transplant center is very important to achieve better long-term results. At present, large transplantation centers are very mature, but the main problem lies in the treatment of various post-operative problems. The most common problems after kidney transplantation include rejection, drug toxicity, acute tubular necrosis, etc. These conditions are manifested as decreased function of the transplanted kidney, and the diagnosis depends on transplantation biopsy, so it is necessary to choose a transplantation center with a high level of transplantation biopsy and pathological diagnosis.
Admission to the hospital for preoperative examination
As mentioned earlier, not every uremic patient can receive a kidney transplant, so if you decide to receive a kidney transplant, you also need to be hospitalized for examination to determine if you have any contraindications to kidney transplantation. At the same time, because the general condition of uremic patients is poor, the doctor will make a plan to adjust your body while you are admitted to the hospital for examination. Please note that it is important to be responsible for the patient. Pre-operative examination is indispensable.
Waiting for kidney donor
It may take a long time to wait for the donor kidney. During this time, you need to further adjust your health condition according to the doctor’s advice, and the doctor will improve your chances of matching as soon as possible, usually there will be multiple matches for a pair of donor kidney, so as to ensure that each one has the chance to receive the best donor kidney.
IV. Undergo surgery
If you are lucky enough to have a successful match, you can prepare for the surgery. There are certain risks involved in receiving the surgery, but please don’t be nervous, as the kidney transplantation technology is very mature and doctors will minimize the risks of the surgery. At present, the complications of surgery in big transplant centers have been basically eliminated.
V. Post-operative rehabilitation work
After surgery, nurses will provide you with 24/7 special care, there is a heart monitor for you to monitor in real time, we routinely install pain pumps for you, so there is usually no pain. 24 hours later, you can start recovery activities under the guidance of the doctor, and you can consider removing the incision sutures in about 2 weeks, without special circumstances, you can usually be discharged within 1 month to continue out-of-hospital treatment. You should note that you must follow your doctor’s advice and not change or increase or decrease your medication, no matter what the situation is.
What to do after kidney transplant
After the surgery, your body’s immune system will think that the transplanted kidney is a foreign “enemy” and will attack it, which is medically called rejection. The medications you take to help suppress the immune system to protect the transplanted kidney are called immunosuppressants, and immunosuppressants can cause a lot of problems. Therefore, you must cooperate closely with your doctor after transplantation, arrange your post-transplant life carefully and take good care of your transplanted kidney.
1. Take the medication carefully according to the doctor’s prescription, do not change the dosage and form at will
Because the production process of different manufacturers is different, the metabolism kinetics of drugs after taking are also different, the drugs taken must be the varieties specified by the doctor. In addition, do not go outside the hospital to buy drugs privately, there are a lot of fake drugs, expired drugs, there are also people who mix fake drugs into the real drugs together with the sale, the major transplant center clinics will see a lot of drug dealers, must be careful. Some patients who purchase drugs through informal channels because of greed for cheaper results in serious rejection and soon enter transplant kidney failure, regretting it.
2, regular follow-up visits, keep in close contact with the doctor
If there is discomfort, do not deal with it privately, but should promptly consult a doctor and perform a transplant kidney biopsy if necessary.
3, develop a regular lifestyle and pay attention to the combination of work and rest.
Proper exercise after surgery (e.g. walking, proper weight lifting, etc.) can improve cardiopulmonary function, but if shortness of breath, fatigue or weakness, profuse sweating, dizziness indicates excessive exercise, it is time to pay attention to rest. After kidney transplantation, you can consider getting married and having children, but sex should be moderate and not excessive, and pay attention to contraceptive measures, because pregnancy can bring great risks, and you must contact your doctor beforehand if you wish to have children.