How Can You Prolong Life After a Liver Transplant?

The percentage of patients surviving liver transplantation is more than ever before. Moreover, most of them are living a healthy and active life. Although it is a complex procedure, when done correctly, it offers good outcomes and improved quality of life. But there are some complications of liver transplants as well . It includes recurrent diseases like cancer, primary biliary cirrhosis, and more problems. In this article, we will read about how life can be prolonged after a liver transplant. 

What is a Liver Transplant?

In simple words, Liver Transplant means replacing damaged liver with a healthy one that comes from the donor. The donor can be a living relative or a brain-dead person. The life expectancy after a liver transplant depends on several factors. These include response to the drugs, transplant reason, age, etc. On average, most liver transplant patients have a prolonged life for more than ten years. In fact, many patients can live for up to 20 years or more as well. 

However, failure to comply with the immunosuppression medical regime is one of the significant causes of organ failure. Therefore, it is important to see a doctor for follow-up. Besides this, careful attention to lifestyle changes, medication schedules, and infection avoidance procedures is crucial to prolonging transplantation life. 

When will your Doctor Recommend a Liver Transplant?

When the liver is extensively injured by scarring, it cannot recover itself. Cirrhosis is the medical term for this stage. When the liver disease progresses, a person may exhibit symptoms such as:

• Liver failure
• High-blood pressure in the veins (portal vein)
• Hepatocellular carcinoma

Quality of Life After Liver Transplant

Following the liver transplant, the first three months are most challenging. As the body adapts to the new liver, it goes through multiple changes. After discharge, the patient has to take care of themselves as there are some minor restrictions. So, odds are, most patients can return to their routine life within 3 to 6 months. In fact, travelling, socialising, working out, and playing sports are all possible. 

Medications After Liver Transplant

In order to avoid liver rejection, patients should take some medications. These medications help fight infections and side effects and treat side effects. Patients discharged from the hospital take approx 7 to 10 types of different medications. However, as the patient recovers, the doctor reduces the intake of medications. But the patient needs to take immunosuppression medicines for their entire lives. Missing the doses of medication can result in organ failure and liver rejection. 

Side Effects of Medications After Transplant

Many drugs have unwanted side effects. Mood swings, high blood pressure, vomiting, hair loss or growth, bone and muscular weakness, nausea, kidney malfunction, diarrhoea, and headache are all common side effects of post-transplant drugs. Most patients will experience side effects at first, but they will usually fade when dosages are reduced. Although side effects can be bothersome, you should never stop taking medicines without the transplant team’s knowledge and approval. When side effects are severe, a variety of medications can frequently be changed to enhance tolerance.

Returning to Work After Transplant

After transplantation, patients can return to work after three months of recovery unless there are any complications. Moreover, patients should evaluate their long-term work goals from the outset of the transplant procedure so that they can return to work in a timely way and avoid lapses in health insurance coverage.

Success Rate of Liver Transplant in India

In India, the success rate of liver transplants is around 90%. India houses a wide range of top-class hospitals and experienced surgeons that assure holistic care and exceptional quality treatment. In fact, a liver transplant’s life expectancy is between 10-20 years. As the country has well-equipped hospitals and experienced surgeons, the liver transplant in India is pretty low than Western Counterparts. You can find the best hospital in terms of quality treatment without breaking your bank. 

If you are searching for the best liver transplant hospital, surgeon, and affordable packages, visit Lyfboat today. The online platform makes your search easier to find the best hospital for a liver transplant. To read more about our health blogs, please visit our website.