Kidney Transplant And Anti Rejection Medicines

One of the most common complications involved in kidney transplant surgery is rejection. It is the reaction of the body to the new kidney tissues as your body will perceive it as a “foreign element”. As the function of the immunity system of the body is to prevent such foreign elements from entering the body, it starts to “attack” the tissues of the transplanted kidney. This is a normal reaction of the body to a transplant. To counter this reaction, anti-rejection medicines are used, prescribed for post kidney replacement surgery care.   

Anti-rejection medicines are basically immunosuppressant medicines, which weaken the immunity system. They prevent your body from rejecting the transplanted kidney. Here are some things that should be kept in mind while taking anti-rejection medicines.  

•The medicine should be taken on time and should be made a part of your daily routine. To help you with that, you can set alarms to remind you of the correct time to take the medicines. Knowing how certain medicines affect your body and their importance will help you to be regular in taking them.

•Be prompt with informing the doctors about any problems you may be facing post-transplant. If required, your doctor may need to change your medicines or dosage accordingly.

•You should continue taking the anti-rejection medicines regardless of how you think the transplant went. Even if the transplant is successful, you shouldn’t stop taking the medicine as it prevents the body from rejecting the organ later on.  

•If a doctor other than the members of your transplant team suggests a particular post-operational medicine, inform your doctor and run it through them. Some medicines hinder with the working of the anti-rejection medicines and can aggravate the problem of rejection further.    

Anti-rejection medication has some side effects but for most patients it is manageable. The blood pressure of the patient is monitored to lessen the chances of rejection and other problems. Some of the common side effects include weight gain, increased chances of some kinds of cancer, high level of blood pressure and increased chances of catching infections. Post-operational care for kidney transplant patients is very important and the best kidney transplant hospitals in India provide the best facilities for the same. Adequate care and proper medical facilities can decrease the chances of rejection.