Lung Transplant
Alternate Names : Pulmonary Transplant, Transplantation of the Lungs
What happens right after the procedure?
The transplant recipient will usually be in the hospital for 7 to 10 days. The person may be on a ventilator overnight to help with breathing. If the person is stable and the donor lung is functioning normally, the breathing machine may be removed at the end of the surgery. The recipient is usually well enough to move out of the intensive care unit after 2 to 3 days.
Immunosuppressant medications are given right before or during the surgery. Blood tests will be done in the first few weeks after transplantation to be sure that the correct dosage of the medications are being given. The recipient will continue to take these medications for the rest of his or her life.
Before leaving the hospital, the person will be given instructions including
how to care for the transplant
how to take the medications
what side effects to expect
how to take care of the surgical scar
early signs and symptoms of rejection
physical activity and rehabilitation
breathing exercises to prevent pneumonia
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