What To Expect After a Lung Transplant
Recovery in the Hospital
After surgery, you'll go to the hospital's intensive
care unit (ICU) for at least several days. The tubes that were inserted before
surgery will remain for a few days.
The tube in your windpipe helps you breathe. Other
tubes deliver medicines to, and drain fluids from, your body. You also will
have sticky patches called electrodes attached to your chest to monitor your
heart.
After leaving the ICU, you'll go to a hospital room.
The staff will carefully watch your recovery.
You'll be taught how to do deep breathing exercises
with a spirometer (spi-ROM-eh-ter). This is a machine with a tube that you
breathe into. When you breathe into the tube, the spirometer measures how much
air your lungs can hold. It also measures how fast you can blow air out of your
lungs after taking a deep breath.
You'll need to cough often. Coughing helps clear
fluids from your lungs so they can work properly. A nurse will show you how to
hold a pillow tightly near your incision area while you cough to help decrease
discomfort.
Your immune system will regard your new lung as a
"foreign object." It will create antibodies (proteins) against the lung. This
may cause your body to reject the new organ. To prevent this, your doctor will
prescribe medicines to suppress your immune system. These medicines are called
immunosuppressants.
Because these medicines weaken your immune system,
you're more likely to get an infection after the transplant. Your medical team
will take steps to prevent infection while you're in the hospital.
On average, people who have a lung transplant stay
in the hospital from 1 to 3 weeks. However, some people have complications and
stay much longer.
Recovery After Leaving the Hospital
Before you leave the hospital, your medical team
will teach you how to keep track of your overall health. You'll learn how to
watch your weight and take your blood pressure, pulse, and temperature.
Staff also will show you how to check your lung
function. If you have diabetes, you'll learn how to test your blood sugar.
You'll also learn the signs of the two main
complications of lung transplant surgery: rejection and infection. (For more
information, see "What Are the Risks of Lung
Transplant?")
For the first 3 months after surgery, you'll go to
the hospital often for
blood
tests,
chest
x rays,
lung
function tests, and other tests. After 3 months, if you're doing well,
you'll visit less often.
Making healthy lifestyle choices is very important.
Not smoking, following a healthy diet, and following your doctor's advice on
using alcohol will help you recover and stay as healthy as possible.
A healthy diet includes a variety of fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains. It also includes lean meats, poultry, fish,
beans, and fat-free or low-fat milk or milk products. A healthy diet is low in
saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium (salt), and added
sugar.
For more information on following a healthy diet,
see the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's
Aim for a
Healthy Weight Web site,
"Your
Guide to a Healthy Heart," and
"Your
Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH." All of these resources
include general information about healthy eating.
Your doctor may recommend an exercise program when
you're able to do physical activity.
Emotional Issues
Having a lung transplant may cause fear, anxiety,
and stress. While you're waiting for a lung transplant, you may worry that you
won't live long enough to get a new lung. After surgery, you may feel
overwhelmed, depressed, or worried about complications.
All of these feelings are normal for someone going
through major surgery. It's important to talk about how you feel with your
health care team. Talking to a professional counselor also can help. If you're
feeling very depressed, your health care team or counselor may prescribe
medicines to make you feel better.
Support from family and friends also can help
relieve stress and anxiety. Let your loved ones know how you feel and what they
can do to help you. |