LIVER TRANSPLANT

DRUG USE

Take the immunosuppressive medication prescribed for you, which prevents your body from rejecting the liver, at the recommended dose, at the same time, and in the same way every day.

CLEANLINESS & HYGIENE

Since liver transplant patients are on immunosuppressive drugs, they have to pay particular attention to their hygiene. Regular showering, paying attention to hand and body hygiene, and brushing teeth are extremely important. It is recommended to wear a mask in crowded environments.

NUTRITION & DIET

Excessive weight gain should be avoided after liver transplantation. For this, regular weight monitoring should be done. Otherwise, your new liver may become fat and loss of function may occur. Sugar and salt should be avoided especially in the early period after discharge. Drink an average of 2 liters of fluid daily.

EXERCISE

Brisk walking is the most appropriate exercise method to start in the early post-discharge period. Heavy exercises should be avoided during this period. If you are in good health, exercises such as swimming can be started after the 6th month.

USING VEHICLE

It will be more convenient for you to drive after the 1st month after discharge.

TRAVEL

There is nothing to prevent you from traveling domestically or abroad after discharge. The most important thing to remember during your travels is to take enough medication with you.

SEXUAL ACTIVITY & REPRODUCTION

Sexual activities can be resumed from the 3rd month after liver transplantation. Pregnancy is not recommended for the first 1 year after liver transplantation. In the following periods, you can become pregnant provided that you are under the follow-up of your doctor.

VACCINES

Live (attenuated) vaccinations are strictly prohibited.

PETS & PLANTS

There is no harm in contact with vaccinated pets. Gloves must be worn when handling soil.

ALCOHOL & SMOKING

Alcohol and smoking are strictly prohibited after liver transplantation.

KIDNEY TRANSPLANT

WHAT IS A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT?

Kidney transplantation is an operation in which the patient’s kidneys that have lost their function are left in place and a new kidney is implanted in another part of the body. The patient’s kidneys are removed only in cases where there is an increased risk of infection due to stones and cystic disease.

The best-known treatment for kidney failure is undoubtedly kidney transplantation. After kidney transplantation, the quality of life and comfort of the patients increase significantly. It is also known that the life expectancy of patients with kidney transplantation is three times longer than other treatment methods (hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis). In kidney transplantation, the organ is obtained from a brain-dead cadaver donor or from a living donor from whom one of the kidneys is removed.

KIDNEY TRANSPLANT FROM LIVING DONOR

It is performed by a completely healthy person over the age of 18 who volunteers with his/her own free will and one of his/her kidneys is removed. To perform this operation, the recipient and donor patients must be blood and in-law relatives up to the 4th degree, and in non-relative patients, ethics committee approval must be obtained from the provincial health directorates.
KIDNEY TRANSPLANT FROM CADAVER DONOR

It is performed with the donation of organs by the family of a brain-dead patient.

WHO CAN RECEIVE A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT?

Kidney transplantation can be applied to patients with end-stage renal failure who have not yet started dialysis treatment. Preemptive kidney transplantation is a kidney transplantation performed without dialysis. It can be performed if the calculated Glomerular Filtration Rate is below 20 ml/min and there is progressive deterioration in renal function during the last 6-12 months of follow-up.

The biggest question is which patients are most likely to have problems after kidney transplantation. Example: Kidney transplantation in elderly patients is not a definite contraindication. The physiological age and performance of the patient are more important than the chronological age.

It should also be kept in mind that there may be a delay in the functioning of the transplanted organ after kidney transplantation in patients with a body mass index (BMI) over 35 kg/m. Therefore, obese patients are advised to lose weight before transplantation.

Systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension that cause end-stage renal failure generally do not constitute an obstacle to kidney transplantation. Non-renal diseases are more important in decision-making.

The recipient should not have an active infection of viral, bacterial, or fungal origin. Patients with a history of cancer can only be transplanted after a successful cancer treatment and a cancer-free period specified in the literature.

This period varies depending on the type of cancer. In patients with very advanced lung disease, heart disease, and other systemic diseases, however, kidney transplantation is not recommended or is obtained from a living donor from whom one of the kidneys is removed.