Your Stay

Upon notification that donor organs have become available, the transplant coordinator will call and request that you immediately come to the hospital in preparation for surgery. Once in the operating room, you will receive the first doses of intravenous immunosuppressive medicines to prevent organ rejection. The intestine/multivisceral transplant surgery generally lasts from eight to 15 hours, depending on which organs are being transplanted and other factors.

The average length of stay in the hospital for an intestine transplant patient at Northwestern Transplant is four to six weeks.

After Surgery

Most of your tubes and IVs will be removed within a few days after surgery with the exception of the enteral feeding tube, which will still remain in your small bowel after you return home.

After surgery, your activity will gradually increase from sitting on the side of the bed, to getting up in a chair, to walking short distances. After the immediate postoperative period has passed, the patient and family learn about the importance of the immunosuppressive regimen, and a daily home medication routine is established. Our staff will provide information concerning how to identify the signs and symptoms of infection or rejection and the appropriate steps to take.

Many transplant recipients experience rejection at some point after transplant. Rejection is classified as mild, moderate or severe, and its treatment generally requires hospitalization.

Preparing for Discharge

Once good organ function has been consistently demonstrated, the immunosuppressant regimen has been established and there is no sign of rejection, you will be prepared to go home. Hospitalization for intestine transplantation generally ranges from three to eight weeks. It is critical that you are knowledgeable and responsible about your medication regimen.

While on the transplant unit, you will learn the following:

1. How to monitor your blood pressure, pulse and weight
2. How to care for your incision and ostomy
3. Name, purpose and common side effects of your medications
4. Signs and symptoms of rejection and infection
5. When to call your coordinator.

Please feel free to ask questions during this time of learning. You will be given a brief discharge test that you must pass before being allowed to go home. This test measures your knowledge of the information the transplant team feels is critical that you know before you leave the hospital.

Before leaving the hospital, you will be given prescriptions for your new medications. You may have these filled at the outpatient pharmacy located in the hospital or at the pharmacy of your choice. The social worker can assist you in making the best choice based on insurance benefits and restrictions.

A clinical transplant coordinator will schedule a teaching session with you and your family before you go home. He or she will discuss your daily routine at home, review the signs of rejection and infection and any limitations you may have. The coordinator will explain the outpatient transplant clinic routine and the schedule for biopsies and scopes. The transplant coordinator will assess your knowledge of medicines and will answer any questions you have.

Patients return to the transplant clinic at least once a week during the first month after transplant. A coordinator will be available to talk to you about any concerns you may have between these scheduled appointments.