What will happen after a liver transplant? & bull; hello healthy

There are many challenges that you need to go through after liver transplant surgery, especially in dealing with possible complications and returning to everyday life. If you do not take proper care, it will be very dangerous for the transplanted organs and your overall health. So, what should you and your family do after a liver transplant?

You need to follow the doctor's instructions to avoid complications

After a liver transplant, your body's immune system considers the transplanted organ as foreign and tries to protect you by rejecting it. This is the reason why complications occur, such as:

Bleeding: There is a small risk of bleeding at the anastomosis, where the blood vessels of the donor and recipient are connected.
Hepatic artery thrombosis: If there is a clot in the hepatic artery, liver malfunction can occur.
Bile duct leak: The connection between the liver and bile duct or the position of the intestine may leak. This can cause bile to leak into the abdominal cavity and cause infection.
Denial: Your body will create immune cells to attack your liver because it perceives the liver as a foreign object.
Infection: After the transplant, you have a high risk of developing infection because the immune system is blocked by drugs, especially if you don't carefully guard the area of the operation.
Hepatitis recurrence: May recur, especially hepatitis B or C virus infection after transplantation.

To avoid the risk of complications, you need to follow the doctor's prescription and visit the hospital for regular check-ups. Call your doctor if any signs of complications arise.

You need to set your expectations

Before choosing a treatment, your doctor will discuss with you about the treatment and how it might affect you. You need to prepare yourself mentally, what will happen after the operation:

You will need to stay in the hospital for a few days, usually around 5 - 10 days, after the transplant. Your signs and health condition will be monitored for any complications. The staff will take tests to make sure your liver is working normally. Once you are stable, you can be discharged from the hospital or move to a transplant recovery area to continue the recovery process.
Once you get home, you will need to visit the hospital regularly for check-ups. The test will often be done at first, but will diminish over time.
You may need to take medication for the rest of your life to prevent your immune system from rejecting your new liver. You may receive immunosuppresants, but this means your immune system will be weakened and you are more susceptible to other conditions such as infections. But fortunately, there are other medicines to help reduce the risk of other complications after the transplant.

You need to limit some of your activities

After coming home from liver transplant surgery, you need to protect the area of the operation to prevent infection and other complications. So, in order to return to a normal, active life, you need to remember a few boundaries.

Do not lift weights more than 2 kg during the first 6 weeks and weights more than 9 kg during the first 3 months after surgery.
Avoid activities that pull the abdominal muscles around the operation area, such as sweeping for 3 months.
Bathing with a shower is better than bathing, at least for 6 months.
Don't run on hard surfaces like cement or asphalt for 6 months.
Do not participate in strenuous physical activity such as horse or motorbike riding for 1 year.
Do not drive the car 1 month after transplant, or any time when you are taking painkillers.
Limit consumption of fat and sodium (salt) in your diet.
Avoid smoking and alcohol.

The more you take care of yourself, the sooner you will regain your strength. Don't forget to always think positive and happy. Although you may not realize the importance of taking good care of yourself, the results will be seen if you do it diligently.