Tips for a Successful Recovery After a Kidney Transplant

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Your recovery time after kidney transplant is going to depend on several different things, especially your overall health prior to transplant. In general, recovery should take about 6 weeks, but can vary person to person. It is important to listen to your healthcare provider and to your body as you recover. Follow the discharge instructions provided to you and call with any questions or concerns you may have. 

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Tips

The following are some tips to help you to have a smooth, successful recovery on the road to a new, healthier version of you!

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1. Take medications as directed.  Take all of your medications, following the instructions for dosage amount and time. 
2. No driving. Do not drive for the first 6 weeks as your surgical wound heals. Plan ahead with family and friends and have a designated driver while you recover.  Check for medical transport options in your area if you need help getting back and forth to your medical appointments. 
3. Take it easy.  This is an exciting time, and you may be anxious to get on with life, and do the things you might have missed out on before; but you need to take it easy for the first six weeks. No strenuous activity, and please no heavy lifting yet. 
4. Slow and Gentle exercise.  Starting to exercise is important in your recovery process, but slow and gentle at first is the key. Stretching exercises, and walking are a good place to start. Follow your provider's instructions and don't overdo it, and you could be back on the tennis court or dance floor before you know it!
5. Hydrate for success.  Staying well hydrated is important to your recovery process, so drink plenty of water, but avoid caffeine since it contributes to dehydration. 
6. No thanks to raw/undercooked foods. Do not eat raw or undercooked foods such as rare steak while you are recovering. After surgery, your immune system is weakened, making you more susceptible to serious infection.
7. Yes to protein.  Protein helps to build muscle, and to recover any lost weight.  Follow a diet plan that may have been given to you by your provider or dietitian. 
8.  No grapefruit or grapefruit juice.  Your medications and grapefruit are a bad combination. Together they can cause an adverse reaction. So for now, stay away from grapefruit. 
9. NO NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs).  Included in this group are several over the counter medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen, these could cause kidney dysfunction.  Talk to your health care provider for advice on alternate medications. 
10. Avoid certain supplements.  This includes herbal supplements and vitamins. Tell your providers what you have been taking and do not start any new supplements without the consent of your provider.‍
11. Appointments are important.  Keep all of your scheduled appointments and communicate to your healthcare provider any questions or concerns you have. Remember, you play a very important role in your own recovery. It really is all about you!

Video

In this video developed by SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, it describes what the recovery process is like. The transcript of the video follows.

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Video Transcript

In terms of kidney transplant recovery, the patients will be in the hospital for approximately five to six days and that's to finish the initial healing process and the medication treatment and then they are discharged home. They do receive a home health nurse that does come out to their house at least twice a week to help them with their vital signs, help take a look at their incision, answer any questions they have and even help them with their pillboxes, if they need help with that.

The person who donates a kidney and a live donor setting is typically in the hospital for a shorter period of time; typically about a day or two. Their recovery time is a little bit different. These are typically healthy people who don't have any medical problems. You know, who a lot of good will donate an organ. So their primary issue for recovery is going to be pain control which isn't terrible. I've seen people go back to work in a week or two weeks after donating a kidney.

I always tell people if you have diabetes, hypertension we don't cure those with transplant. so you still take diabetic medication; you still take blood pressure medicines. Now we add on anti-rejection medicine, some antibiotics, antiviral medications. We ask that family members be involved or friends so that things like cooking, cleaning --someone else can do that those sort of things for you. You won't be able to drive in the first typically month or so post transplant. So we ask again that family members or we call, the support team, is involved bringing patients back and forth to the clinic for visit but the actual recovery time is fairly quick. For patients to optimize their transplants and get the best success out of it, they need to be respectful of the gifts that they are given and that includes communication with their transplant team.

If they senses that there's any question, problems, concerns, patients do need to contact their transplant nurse or nurse practitioner. After transplant, communication is key. Patients physically need to take care of the transplant by making sure they're eating healthy; they're drinking fluids to keep that transplant healthy.

After transplant, life does change for patients. So first of all, they no longer have dialysis so they have a lot more freedom for travel, for visiting people, going out to eat. Life after transplant, as long as you have a working kidney, it's fabulous. You're not on dialysis; you're spending that 12 hours a week doing other things; being with family grandchildren, children; some people go back to work. If they're little younger people, go to college. You know there are some restrictions with infections like that you need to practice health safety. Over all, washing your hands and staying away from people who are sick but other than that you would never know by looking at someone that they have a kidney transplant.

There's nothing about transplant that's perfect so I won't tell people to expect a perfect outcome; that expect a good outcome; going to be taken care of by some really good physicians and care providers.

Everyone our team is very caring. We really are personalized on our patient care. Patients are not just numbers to us. They are people and we do care about their lives and their results in their kidney transplants.

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References

Cleveland Clinic

SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital
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About the Author

Monica McCarthy has bachelors in Political Science and Criminal Justice from Central Washington University.  A majority of her career was spent as a political consultant.   She currently works at KidneyLuv as a staff writer.

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Patient Education Disclaimer

This material is for informational purposes only. It does not replace the advice or counsel of a doctor or health care professional. KidneyLuv makes every effort to provide information that is accurate and timely, but makes no guarantee in this regard. You should consult with, and rely only on the advice of, your physician or health care professional.

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