Liver Transplant Recovery

The scariest thing about liver transplant is probably going to be the surgery itself. But life with a transplanted liver only begins in the operating room. A successful liver transplant also depends on what you do in recovery and beyond.

Attitude is a large part of success when it comes to living with a transplanted liver. You'll have to balance your desire to resume the quality of life you enjoyed before you started having liver problems with some medical necessities triggered by the fact that your body has just undergone some significant trauma and you now have a borrowed organ functioning inside you.

Liver transplant surgery usually requires a 5-10 day hospital stay after your surgery.

You'll be closely monitored by your medical team for several weeks after your liver transplant. They'll assess your progress and adjust recovery treatment as necessary. It will be extremely helpful if you can find accomodations close to your transplant center during this time. Staying nearby is smart for several reasons. First, you won't be as fatigued by a long trip everytime you have to come in. Second, if there are post surgery complications, you'll want to get to the center as fast as you can so your doctors can deal with them.

A certain amount of discomfort is inevitable. You'll have some pain, and your doctor will prescribe medications to help you cope with it.

There will also be medications to help keep your immune system from rejecting your transplanted liver. These medications, or "immunosuppressants," will help, but the fact is, you'll probably always have to deal with the rejection issue to one degree or another.

You might also have to take antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal medications to help prevent infections from flaring up. Be aware that some immunosuppressants increase the possibility you might develop certain medical conditions, or they may complicate problems you already have like diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or cancer.

Expect your doctor to give you some guidelines about diet and exercise.