Risks of a bowel transplant
It is important to understand the risks of a bowel transplant.
Key points
- Not every patient feels better after having a bowel transplant
- A bowel transplant is major surgery and you’ll need to take strong medicines afterwards, which can cause problems
- The risks of transplantation can broadly be divided into early risks and longer-term risks
- All donated organs have the potential to come with health risks
Understanding your risks
Many patients who have a bowel transplant do very well and have years of good bowel function. The risks of a transplant are, in general, lower than the risks posed by remaining on intravenous feeding for patients under some circumstances. However, it’s important that you’re aware of the risks as well as the benefits of transplantation. This will help you to understand bowel transplantation, and to be prepared if there are problems after the transplant.
Sadly, not every patient feels better or lives longer after having a bowel transplant.
The risk of problems (complications) can be divided into early risks and later risks.
Early risks happen during surgery or in the days or weeks after a transplant. They are often due to the strain of surgery or problems with the surgery itself or your body adjusting to the transplanted bowel.
Later risks happen in the months and years after a transplant. These are often related to the immunosuppressant medicines you need to take.
You can find out about the different types of risk on the websites below.
Risk levels
It is important to understand how many patients are likely to be affected by each risk. We’ve divided these risks into different categories depending on how common they are.
These risk categories are used to describe the average patient. But every patient is different and your risks may be higher or lower. Your transplant team will tell you what the risks of bowel transplantation are for you.
If you are worried about any of the risks discussed on this website or would like more information, please speak to your transplant tea
| Risk level | Number of bowel transplant patients affected |
|---|---|
| Very common | More than 10 in 100 |
| Common | Between 1 in 100 and 10 in 100 |
| Uncommon | Between 1 in 1000 and 1 in 100 |
| Rare | Fewer than 1 in 1000 |
Example: Very common risk
This image below is a visual representation of a complication that affects 15 in 100 people.
Example: Common risk
This image below is a visual representation of a complication that affects 2 in 100 people.
Speak to your bowel transplant doctor about your risks
This information summarises the risks for most patients. But your transplant journey is unique. Your bowel transplant doctor will be able to discuss in more detail the risks you might face.