Department of Transplantation Dept. of Transplantation

10. In-Hospital Recovery

Your hospital stay can last from 7 to 10 days. In this section you will find the details of your recovery process: From the moment after surgery until you are discharged from the hospital.

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After Surgery

P.A.C.U.

Our team will take you to the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) immediately after your surgery has ended. In this setting, our team will frequently monitor your vital signs, lab tests, and overall condition. You'll remain here until the morning following surgery, at which time you will be transferred to the transplant unit.

Transplant Unit

You’ll be groggy, in pain, and with several tubes leading into your body. These tubes will include:

  • A Foley catheter to drain urine while lying in bed
  • An IV (intravenous) to deliver nutrients and medications into the bloodstream
  • A thick tube in your throat, to help you with breathing while you’re asleep
  • Electrodes on your chest to track your heart rate
  • Drainage tubes from the incision area
  • A "nasogastric" tube in your nose, used to drain food from your stomach
Your incision area is expected to leak, so our nurses will change the dressing frequently. They will monitor your vitals closely, as this is a likely period where possible complications may surface. Should any indication of trouble arise, they have the ability to treat you in the transplant unit, or take you back to the operating room if necessary.

Recovery Details

Breathing and Exercise

As soon as you wake up, you'll be asked to breathe deeply and cough. This is because fluids may accumulate in your lungs while under anesthesia. This exercise brings air to all parts of your lungs, preventing pneumonia.

Once you're feeling strong enough, you'll be asked to exercise your leg muscles by flexing them. We’ll gradually encourage you to sit up, stand up, and finally walk. We want to get you up and walking to prevent blood clots from forming and to prevent muscle wasting. You are expected to be able to get out of bed about 2-3 days after surgery, and your diet will return to normal by day 5.

Pain

Pain is, unfortunately, inevitable with a surgery of this magnitude. Despite the pain medications, you are expected to be in pain for up to a week. Our preferred method of pain relief is patient-controlled analgesia. PCA is a device with a button that you’ll push whenever you want another dose of pain reliever, which it will deliver through the IV. PCAs are programmed to allow self-medication at moderated intervals to avoid overdosing or developing a dependency to the drug.

Hospital Discharge

Your total hospital stay may last from 7-10 days, depending on your recovery speed. You’ll be discharged when you are capable of urinating, walking, and eating on your own. You will not be allowed to drive yourself home, so we suggest you arrange a friend or family to take you back home when the time comes. This is done for your safety, as you will not yet have enough strength to operate a car.

Keep in mind that you’ll need to visit the hospital frequently for about a week after your discharge. If you live remotely, Lahey will make arrangements to accommodate you at a nearby hotel.