It is critical to keep all follow-up appointments as scheduled with the transplant team.

These appointments are vital in keeping your new intestine functioning properly and allow you to ask questions regarding your recovery process.

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At first, you will likely be seen twice weekly for follow-up appointments and the frequency will decrease as you become more stable (this will vary by transplant program, and by patient depending upon how well you are doing).

At the appointment, symptoms will be reviewed, input and output records will be reviewed, and nutritional and hydration status will be monitored.

You may have appointments with other departments, such as infectious disease, to monitor their health status. These are just as important to keep as the appointments with the transplant team.

Lab work will be done twice weekly immediately after discharge, and then frequency will decrease as you become more stable (once again this will be on a patient-by-patient basis, but this is the general rule).

Do not take anti-rejection medications the morning of bloodwork until after the blood has been drawn, this allows for the trough (bottom) level of the medication to be monitored.

If your bloodwork is abnormal, you may be called to either adjust the medication dose or to come in to be admitted.

Once discharged, you will have an ileoscopy (biopsy/ or scope) of the new intestine every 7-10 days until you are more stable and are not showing signs of rejection (may vary per transplant center and patient.

Please note: Every transplant center is different and will have its specific protocols. Some centers may choose only to complete biopsies when a patient shows signs or symptoms of rejection, while others will still do surveillance biopsies regularly. It is best to talk with your transplant team to determine the plan for your care.

Most transplant centers require you to stay in the area for the first 3-6 months following your transplant (exact time will vary based on your individual needs and the individual center requirements).

After that time, your transplant center will determine how often you will need to come back for visits.

When to Call Your Transplant Team

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It is very important to notify your transplant team if you are feeling unwell as this may be a sign of rejection, infection, or another illness that may lead to significant harm. The list below contains recommendations of when to call your transplant team, but is not an all-inclusive list, and you should always refer to your respective transplant center when seeking any medical advice. If you are feeling extremely ill or it is an emergency, proceed to the nearest emergency room or dial 911:

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• Changes in vital signs (blood pressure or heart rate significantly increases or decreases).

• Fever >100.4o. F (or extremely low temperature <96o F)

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.

• Cough, congestion, or runny nose.

• Increased abdominal pain.

• Extreme nausea and/or vomiting.

• Blood in stool, urine, or vomit.

• Decrease in urine output.

• Chills or sweats.

• Sore throat.

• Significant fatigue out of the ordinary.

Sometimes donor families and recipients decide to contact one another. The decision to contact your donor family is entirely your own. To read more, visit our section on post-transplant life.