Kidney Transplant: What to Expect at Home

Your Recovery

A kidney transplant is surgery to give you a healthy kidney from another person. You need only one healthy kidney to live.

Your belly and side will be sore for the first 1 to 2 weeks after surgery. You also may have some numbness around the cut (incision) the doctor made. You may feel tired while you are healing. It may take several weeks or longer for your energy to fully return.

After the transplant, you'll have to take medicines every day from now on. The medicines will help keep your body from rejecting the new kidney. They will also make your immune system weaker. This means you will be more likely to get an infection or become sick. To reduce your risk of infection, wash your hands often. Stay away from crowds of people, and avoid contact with people who have a cold or the flu.

Your new kidney may start working very soon after surgery, or it may take a few weeks. If your kidney doesn't start to work right away, you'll need to have dialysis until the new kidney can take over.

Having an organ transplant can bring up many emotions. Seek out family, friends, and counselors for support. If you think you are depressed, ask your doctor for help. Treatment can help you feel better.

This care sheet gives you a general idea about how long it will take for you to recover. But each person recovers at a different pace. Follow the steps below to get better as quickly as possible.

How can you care for yourself at home?

Activity

• Rest when you feel tired. Getting enough sleep will help you recover.
• Be as active as you can every day. For many people, walking is a good choice.
• You may take showers. Pat the incision dry. Do not take a bath for the first 2 weeks, or until your doctor tells you it is okay.
• Avoid exercises that strain your belly muscles and activities that make you work hard, such as bicycle riding, jogging, weight lifting, or aerobic exercise, until your doctor says it is okay.
• Avoid lifting anything that would make you strain until your doctor says it is okay. This may include heavy grocery bags and milk containers, a heavy briefcase or backpack, cat litter or dog food bags, a vacuum cleaner, or a child.
• Hold a pillow over your incision when you cough or take deep breaths. This will support your belly and decrease your pain.
• Do breathing exercises at home as instructed by your doctor. This will help prevent pneumonia.
• Ask your doctor when you can drive again.
• Most people are able to return to work several weeks after surgery. It depends on the type of work you do and how you feel.
• Ask your doctor when it is okay for you to have sex.

Diet

• Follow your doctor's instructions about what to eat after your surgery. You may need to follow a special diet for your kidneys or for other health problems.
• Drink plenty of fluids (unless your doctor tells you not to).
• Check with your doctor before you drink alcohol. Alcohol can cause problems with some of the medicines used to prevent organ rejection.
• If your bowel movements are not regular right after surgery, try to avoid constipation and straining. Drink plenty of water. Your doctor may suggest fiber, a stool softener, or a mild laxative.

Medicines

• Your doctor will tell you if and when you can restart your medicines. The doctor will also give you instructions about taking any new medicines.
• If you stopped taking aspirin or some other blood thinner, your doctor will tell you when to start taking it again.
• Take your anti-rejection medicines exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if you think you are having a problem with your medicine.
• Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
  • If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, take an over-the-counter medicine that your doctor recommends.
  • If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
  • Store your prescription pain medicines where no one else can get to them. When you are done using them, dispose of them quickly and safely. Your local pharmacy or hospital may have a drop-off site.
  • Do not take aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) unless your doctor says it is okay.
• If you think your pain medicine is making you sick to your stomach:
  • Take your medicine after meals (unless your doctor has told you not to).
  • Ask your doctor for a different pain medicine.
• If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.

Incision care

• If you have strips of tape on your incision, leave the tape on until it falls off.
• If the incision is closed with staples, the staples will be removed a few weeks after surgery.
• Gently wash the area daily with warm, soapy water, and pat it dry. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing. You may cover the area with a gauze bandage if it oozes or rubs against clothing.
• Change the bandage every day or if it gets wet or dirty.
• Keep the area clean and dry.

Other instructions

• Take steps to avoid infections. If you did not get all the vaccines you need before surgery, be sure to get the ones your doctor recommends in the weeks after surgery.
• Carry a medical alert card with you, and consider wearing a medical alert bracelet. These will tell health care providers you have had a transplant in case you need emergency care.
• Most transplant experts recommend that a person wait for 1 to 2 years after surgery before planning to get pregnant. If you plan to get pregnant, pre-conception counseling is important so you know about the higher risk of problems and need for close monitoring for both you and the baby.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and contact your doctor if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.

When should you call for help?

Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:

• You passed out (lost consciousness).
• You have severe trouble breathing.
• You have sudden chest pain and shortness of breath, or you cough up blood.
• You have severe pain in your belly.

Contact your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:

• You have pain that does not get better after you take pain medicine.
• You have nausea or vomiting or cannot keep down fluids or your anti-rejection medicines.
• You have loose stitches, or your incision comes open.
• Bright red blood has soaked through the bandage over the incision.
• You have symptoms of a urinary infection. For example:
  • You have blood or pus in your urine.
  • You have pain in your back just below your rib cage. This is called flank pain.
  • You have a fever, chills, or body aches.
  • It hurts to urinate.
  • You have groin or belly pain.
• You have symptoms of a blood clot in your leg (called a deep vein thrombosis), such as:
  • Pain in the calf, back of the knee, thigh, or groin.
  • Swelling in the leg or groin.
  • A color change on the leg or groin. The skin may be reddish or purplish.
• You have trouble passing urine or stool.
• You have pain or swelling in your lower belly.
• You have a weight gain of more than 2 pounds in 1 day.
• You have symptoms of infection, such as:
  • Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness.
  • Red streaks leading from the incision.
  • Pus draining from the incision.
  • A fever.
• You have any problems with your anti-rejection medicine.

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

• You do not have a bowel movement after taking a laxative.