After kidney transplantation, you need to pay attention to diet, exercise, and follow-up examinations!

Author: Cai Ming, Chief Physician, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine

Reviewer: Han Sujun, deputy chief physician, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

It is well known that kidney transplantation is a very good treatment option for patients with renal failure that develops to the uremia stage.

However, kidney transplant surgery is only one part of the treatment process. Diet, exercise, follow-up examinations, etc. after kidney transplant surgery are all areas that require special attention.

1. What should I pay attention to in my diet after kidney transplantation?

In principle, you can eat normally after a kidney transplant, but we need to consider several factors.

First, patients who have undergone kidney transplantation need to take immunosuppressants for a long time, which will affect their metabolism, so the incidence of metabolic diseases will increase. For example, the incidence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and even diabetes is higher than that of ordinary patients, so in terms of diet, some high-energy foods should be properly controlled, and some exercise should be increased.

Second, because the drug itself will cause certain stimulation to the gastrointestinal tract, some foods that are difficult to digest or irritating to the gastrointestinal tract are not suitable for patients after kidney transplantation.

Third, some Chinese medicines or supplements, such as ginseng, can enhance the body's immunity. However, after organ transplantation, the immunity needs to be lowered. Enhancing the immunity will induce rejection reactions. Therefore, so-called tonics like ginseng are not suitable for consumption.

In addition, there are some drugs that may affect the blood concentration of immunosuppressants, so patients after kidney transplantation must consult a doctor or pharmacist before using other drugs and do not take any drugs at will.

2. What should I pay attention to when exercising after kidney transplantation?

Appropriate exercise is recommended after kidney transplantation, but strenuous exercise is not recommended.

For example, fast sprinting, table tennis, badminton, basketball, etc. are not suitable for this kind of sports. Because the transplanted kidney is placed in the iliac fossa, and strenuous activities will affect the iliac fossa, so strenuous exercise should be avoided.

Figure 1 Original copyright image, no permission to reprint

Of course, there are some dangerous actions that should not be performed. This is because the transplant site is in the lower abdomen, which is relatively superficial, so do not perform exercises that are easy to hit this area. There was once a patient who accidentally hit the iliac fossa, causing the transplanted kidney to rupture. This situation is very regrettable.

For patients after kidney transplantation, some gentle exercises, such as slow walking, swimming, Tai Chi, etc., are more suitable.

3. What should be paid attention to in follow-up after kidney transplantation?

After kidney transplant surgery, follow-up visits must be made at a regular hospital, preferably the same hospital where the surgery was performed. In addition, as time passes after kidney transplant surgery, the frequency of follow-up visits will change.

In the early postoperative period, for patients who have just been discharged from the hospital, it is best to return to the hospital for a checkup once a week. After three months, the checkup can be extended to once every two weeks. After six months, the checkup can be extended to once a month. After one or two years, the checkup can be extended to once every two to three months. This is a basic checkup frequency.

However, each hospital has its own standards, and each patient's later recovery is also different. Some patients recover smoothly, while some patients may have other problems, so re-examinations should be conducted according to the doctor's instructions after each follow-up.

In addition, the purpose of follow-up is to let doctors understand the patient's dynamics and overall changes, including the patient's self-measured body temperature, blood pressure, urine volume, etc. at home, as well as blood routine, urine routine, liver and kidney function, blood drug concentration, etc. tested through laboratory tests. Doctors should make some adjustments to the patient's medication based on these conditions.

One point that needs to be emphasized is that in some special circumstances, you should see a doctor at any time. You should not wait to go to the hospital just because the follow-up time specified by the doctor has not arrived, as this may delay treatment.

Figure 2 Original copyright image, no permission to reprint

4. How many years can you live after a kidney transplant?

If we analyze the survival rate after kidney transplantation, there are usually one-year survival rate, five-year survival rate, and ten-year survival rate. Among them, there are human survival rate and kidney survival rate. The so-called human survival rate means that the person is alive, but the kidney is not working and needs to continue dialysis.

From the perspective of one-year survival rate, if the operation is performed in a better transplant center, both the human survival rate and the kidney survival rate can reach over 97% or 98%; from the perspective of five-year survival rate, the kidney survival rate can reach 80%-90%, and the human survival rate can reach over 90%; from the perspective of ten-year survival rate, both the human and kidney survival rates can reach over 80%.

Of course, as time goes by and they age, many patients die from other reasons. So far, the longest-lived patient after kidney transplantation in our country has been more than 40 years old, but this patient received two kidney transplants.