Warning signs after a bowel transplant
What to watch out for after a bowel transplant and when to seek medical advice
Key points
- Common problems you might experience are rejection and infection
- Problems often first show as diarrhoea, abdominal (tummy) pain or a temperature
- Make sure you attend all your scheduled appointments so your transplant team can monitor your progress
When to seek medical advice
Please contact your transplant team if you experience any of the following:
- A high temperature of 38 degrees celcius or above
- Feeling hot and shivery
- Severe headache
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- New chest pain
- Fatigue or generally feeling 'rough'
- A new rash
Make sure you attend all your clinic appointments
It is important that you attend all of your appointments with your transplant team. Routine blood tests can pick up problems early.
Sometimes, regular biopsies of the bowel transplant will be done to help pick up early rejection.
If you need to go to your local hospital for treatment, please ask the team there to contact your transplant centre for advice on managing your medications. Your immunosuppressant medications shouldn’t be changed without advice from your transplant team.
Rejection
Rejection is your body’s response to having a transplanted bowel. The immunosuppressant medicines will help to stop you rejecting the organ. But many transplant patients still experience rejection. This can usually be treated with stronger medications.
Infection
Infections are very common immediately after surgery. Infections can also occur in the months or years after a transplant. This is partly due to the immunosuppressant medicines that lower your immune system. Chest, bowel and urinary infections are the most common infections and can be treated with antibiotics and antivirals.
