Post Transplant Care
In-Hospital Post-Transplant Patient Management
In most cases, recovery from transplantation is rapid and not unlike that experienced by other general surgical patients.
Kidney transplant recipients are cared for in the designated transplant unit. High-risk kidney patients and all pancreas transplant patients are cared for in the Intensive Care Unit. Once stable, they are transferred to the transplant unit.The length of stay in the hospital is five to seven days. During the hospital stay, recipients are cared for by the transplant team, which includes the transplant surgeon, transplant nephrologist, and transplant coordinator.
Care After Leaving the Hospital
All members of the transplant team are involved in a patient's post-discharge planning.
The inpatient coordinator is responsible for patient education and coordinating immediate follow-up care.
The outpatient coordinator serves as the patient's long-term contact for answering questions, addressing concerns, and coordinating transplant clinic visits after discharge. The outpatient coordinator reviews each patient's list of current medications, tracks compliance, and facilitates the patient in understanding the prescribed medical regimen. Any side effects of medications or changes in patient status are documented and reviewed with the transplant physicians. The outpatient coordinator also provides continuing patient education as needed. Routine post-transplant visits occur twice a week the first month, once a week the second month, and every two weeks the third month.Laboratory studies are performed at each visit to monitor transplant organ function and general medical status. Additional studies are obtained as needed on a case-by-case basis. Between clinic visits, patients are encouraged to call the outpatient coordinator with any questions or concerns. Patients are specifically instructed to call with signs of infection, rejection, or any change in condition. A transplant coordinator is available to receive calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The transplant surgeon and nephrologist on call support the transplant coordinator.Should a patient's condition require temporarily remaining in the Stanford area, a transplant social worker assists the patient and family in securing accommodations and any other support services. If outpatient treament becomes necessary, Stanford's Ambulatory Treatment Unit (ATU) offers a comprehensive range of outpatient services in comfortable, convenient facilities.At approximately three months after transplantation, the patient is transferred back to the primary care of the referring nephrologist. However, immunosuppression is still managed by the Stanford team, and consultation with Stanford transplant specialists is readily available.
The transplant team continues communication with the patient for the life of the transplant organ and reviews all laboratory data. We ask all patients to return for periodic evaluation in the transplant clinic at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months, and then yearly.