It's Not A One-Time Affair But A Lifelong One For Organ Recipients.
They Must Value Their Gift And Lead Disciplined Lives, Say Doctors.
An organ trans plant is often seen as a second innings in life for those receiving it from healthy donors.But living with a foreign body isn't as simple as it seems.In most cases, organ recipients have to depend on expensive immuno-suppressants or anti-rejection drugs all their lives to boost resistance, be careful with their diet and dosage of medicines and watch out for any side-effects caused by long-term intake of steroids. TOI speaks to top doctors in the city to get a sense of what it means to have a heart, liver, kidney or cornea survive in someone else's body.
HEART OF THE MATTER
Transplant isn't a one-time affair, but a long-term process of medication and dedication. When a heart recipient is chosen, the social and financial status of the patient's family must be factored in. “It costs not less than Rs 17,000 a month to take 4-5 7,000 a month to take 4-5 tablets for the rest of one's life. Recipients have to lead a highly disciplined life, taking tablets at a particular time every day. We also suggest certain graded exercises and yogic postures. The family's support in ensuring that the recipient takes medicines regularly is essential,“ says r Bhagirath R, chief interventional cardiologist from Narayana Health City. He recalls the case of Karnataka's first cadaver heart recipient from Kolkata who underwent transplant in 2007 and died in less than two years, when he stopped taking immuno-suppressants. Unlike other organs, heart can be transplanted only through cadaver donation and not from a live donor.
RENAL CODE
A kidney transplant spells immense hope for a patient suffering from renal failure. “A recipient will start seeing a lot of changes in his body that once suffered pain.Post-transplant, they think life is fine.They have to take immuno-suppressants. If it is stopped even for a day, the organ faces rejection. That's terrible and untreatable. They must also be careful in taking other medicines if they contract seasonal ailments, like a common cold. For instance, the drug erythromycin can increase the toxicity of immuno-suppressants among kidney recipients,“ says Dr H Sudarshan Ballal, nephrologist and medical director of Manipal Hospitals who has treated over 5,000 organ recipients. When the patients consult a physician, the medical history must be told. Drinking 4-5 liters of water is a must.
LIVER SUTRA
Stay away from those who are actively infected with any kind of infection, is the first word of caution that Dr Sonal Asthana, head, Integrated Liver Care (ILC) Team of BGS Global Hospitals, tells liver recipients. “Have freshly cooked food. Cut fruits and refrigerated food are a no-no.Grapefruit, a subtropical citrus fruit, must not be consumed as it can change the immuno-suppressant levels,“ he says.Those who undergo liver transplant must be careful when they feel tiredness, fatigue or see symptoms of jaundice, as it could be symptoms of organ rejection. New liver may react differently to alcohol, he says.
EASY ON THE EYE
A corneal transplant is a journey from darkness to light. It's the most visible transformation for a person suffering from corneal damage by birth or by accident. The corneas of the donor need not match that of the recipient, unlike other organs. “We usually transplant the corneas of a young person to another young person, as it can live longer.The recipients are not any oral drug, but on eye drops for over a year.
Frequent follow-up visits are a must,“ says Dr. Rohith Shetty, vice chairman of Narayana Nethralaya. Corneal damage among children is largely due to pencil pricks and lime injuries, he adds.
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