Things Not to Do After Liver Transplant:

Liver transplant operations are one of the most major types of surgical procedures that involve the removal of a diseased liver and replacing it with a new, healthy liver. It is a viable option for patients suffering from end-stage liver disease or acute liver failure. Depending on particular factors, such as the patient’s health, stage of the disease and the skill of the surgeon, this procedure can take between 4 and 18 hours. Also called liver allograft, this procedure involves a lot of factors both before and after the surgery that would determine the patient’s future health.

It is important to bear in mind that maintaining a healthy lifestyle even when diagnosed with end-stage liver disease is an important determinant to the success of the prospective transplantation. Since the liver’s important function includes removing toxins and wastes from the body, one should not consume a diet, including alcohol, that might aggravated the condition further. It’s imperative to consult your doctor or physician and consume the diet they prescribe in order to ensure that the liver transplant is beneficial for the patient. Other things that one must not do while waiting for a healthy liver or even before the actual surgery include engaging in heavy, strenuous activities or immersing in situations that take a toll on the patient’s morale and optimism. These are some important factors that can determine the eventual outcome of the liver transplant operation for the patient.

However, the true nature of the recovery depends on what the patient does after the completion of the liver transplant procedure. In this connection, it might be pertinent to mention what one must not do, so that it does not come in the way of the patient’s road to recovery. These include:

• Straying away from the prescribed diet, specifically prescribed by the physician or surgeon, who had recommended surgery and operated on you. This also includes the consumption of grapefruit and its derivatives, as it may interfere in the anti-immunity medications that the patient is taking,
• Stop the prescribed medications abruptly, especially without the knowledge of the physician or doctor who had prescribed them. One should never stop consuming anti-immunity medications because your immunity system can attack the transplanted liver as if it was a foreign entity.
• Engage in exercise or go back to your previous occupation immediately after your liver transplant operation because these activities may put on a strain on your new liver and your body’s ability to accept it as its own. Normally, you can take light exercises a few weeks after the operation and you can resume your work or profession about three months after the operation
• Avoid regular appointments with your doctor or assigned physician, unless absolutely necessary. This is because your doctor needs to take stock of your recovery’s progress and to determine whether or not new complications have arisen. Considering the nature of the diseased liver and the effects it had on the patient’s body, this is something the recovering patient should try not to avoid.

Considering the complexities involved in liver transplantation and in its immediate aftermath, a patient who has undergone such a procedure should not do the activities that have been mentioned in the list above, in order to preserve their health and their own well-being.