Care after Heart transplantation
What is Heart transplantation?
Heart transplantation is a procedure when a person with a damaged heart gets a healthy heart from a donor.
A heart transplant may be considered when heart failure is so bad that no other treatment works.
Most common indications for heart transplantation are:
- Severe Dilated cardiomyopathy (a form of cardiomyopathy where heat becomes dilated and weak)
- Severe coronary artery disease with no option of CABG or stenting surgery
- Congenital heart diseases (Heart problems at birth)
Complications of Heart transplantation
Most people who die after a transplant dies from infection or rejection.
Infections
Infections are expected as the drugs that suppress immunity make them vulnerable to various bacteria, fungi, or bacteria.
rejection
Rejection happens when the body’s immune cells see the transplanted heart as different from the rest of the body and try to destroy it.
complications from the drugs
People who take drugs to prevent transplant rejection are more likely to get complications from the drugs
These complications include:
- kidney damage
- high blood pressure
- osteoporosis
- lymphoma.
- Liver damage
- Diabetes
- Bone-marrow suppression
- Increased incidence of cancer
- Acne
- moon face
- facial hair
- fluid retention
coronary artery disease
Almost half of the people who get transplants end up with coronary artery disease. And many of them don’t have signs like angina because their donor’s hearts don’t have nerves.
Care
Care is similar to a patient with a kidney transplantation.
You always take drugs on time and as prescribed
Immunosuppressants are drugs that patients get to keep their bodies from rejecting the transplant. So that the donor’s heart doesn’t get rejected, these drugs turn down the immune system. Because rejection can happen any time after a transplant, patients get immunosuppressive drugs the day before their transplant and for the rest of their lives.
These medications must be taken for life. But too much immunosuppression can cause infections that are hard to treat. So, it’s easy for a person to get serious infections.
Because of this, people are also given medicines to fight infections. This medicine should also be taken without fail.
Do not discontinue or attempt to modify your medications on your own.
Notify your transplant coordinator if another doctor writes any drugs
If other physicians prescribe you medication, notify your cardiologist in Hyderabad. They will be evaluated for potential interactions with your anti-rejection medications.
Exercise
People who have had a heart transplant should do exercise so that their hearts work better and they don’t gain weight. But because the transplant changes the heart, the patient should talk to their doctor or a specialist in cardiac rehabilitation before starting an exercise program. Because the nerves that go to the heart are cut during the operation, the transplanted heart beats faster than the normal heart. The donor heart also responds to exercise less quickly, and its rate doesn’t go up as quickly as it used to.
You will need to move frequently following a heart transplant.
Follow these guidelines to recover and avoid blood clots:
- Start with short walks and gradually increase the distance.
- Take short naps as needed, but you should not spend excessive time in bed during the day.
Diet
After a transplant, the person may need to eat a special diet, including many of the same changes they made to their diet before surgery. Heart disease, high blood pressure, and fluid retention are all more likely to happen if you eat a lot of salty foods. So limit salt intake. Your doctor will talk to you about your specific dietary needs, and a registered dietitian can help you understand specific nutritional guidelines.
Certain foods may interact with your medications. Your medications can impact your potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium levels. You must exercise caution while consuming foods rich in these nutrients to maintain optimal levels.
Your meal plan will propose foods based on the drugs you take.
A heart-healthy diet requires that you:
- Limit fat, sugar, and salt.
- Consume suggested fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins.
- High-sodium snacks, canned soups, and prepared foods should be avoided (salt).
You must adhere to these instructions to recover more quickly and ensure that your replacement heart is functioning correctly.
Frequent medical checkup
your appointments should be scheduled as indicated by your cardiologist in Hyderabad. You must go Every other week throughout the second month following a transplant. Three to six months post-transplant, once every month visit is sufficient. Seven to twelve months post-transplant, every other month appointment is recommended.
Your doctor may prescribe tests like
- 2d echo test in Hyderabad
- ECG
- blood tests
- biopsy
- angiogram
Monitor your parameters.
You should monitor and report any changes in your:
- Temperature
- Pulse
- Blood pressure
- Weight