Lung Transplant Information #5 - Life After Transplant

We reviewed all the other processes for a lung transplant. Again, the process is:

Evaluation

Listing

Waiting on the List

Being Called in for Transplant

Life after Transplant

Today, I will write about what we learned about the final process – Life After Transplant.

Medication. A lot of medication. So much so that the patient is given an education about each medications – around 20 different ones – and will learn about the importance of taking them at the proper time. The number of meds will decrease over time.

The first 6 weeks, the receiver of the new lungs needs to be within 30-minutes of the hospital. We are right on the edge of that time limit. There are many, many post-op tests and we will be spending a lot of time on the road.

There also must be a support person with the patient 24/7 during this time. This is a matter of safety in case something goes wrong.

After the 6 weeks post-op, the tests and visits will become less frequent.

With the transplant firmly in place and very happy to find a new home, the patient is on the highest doses of immunosuppressant drugs but they will be weaned to a maintenance level as time goes on. Some of the tests post-op include Bronchoscopes, CT Scans, PFTs, clinic appointments and lots of lab work.

If all goes well over time, it is common for the receiver of the lungs to see a doctor and have tests just once a year. That is the goal.

There are two major risks – rejection and infection. The drugs should deal with the rejection issues. Infections are due to the other drugs that leave the body unprotected to infections.

To minimize the risks of infection, it is important to remember to wash hands, stay away from people who are ill, stay away from children, and take care with food. Common sense.

To minimize the risks of rejection, the patient must take the medications as prescribed, contact the lung transplant team if there is any change like tiredness, or the feeling of just being unwell. This is one of the first signs of rejection. With medication, this can be adjusted but the earlier the rejection is halted, the less damage is done to the lungs.

Oh, and there are other risks after the lung transplants:

Malignancies – skin cancer

Bronchiolitis Obilerans – (BOS) – reference previous blog

Possible drug related issues – diabetes and osteoporosis.

Because of the drugs, the skin is more susceptible to sun damage. Two to three months post transplant, the patient must be checked by a dermatologist. This needs to be done at least once a year.

Tomorrow, I will write about the current survival statistics.