Medically

Overcome Long-Term Health Issues and Complications of Heart and Lung Transplantation

Infections

Because transplant patients must take medications that suppress their immune system, they are vulnerable to developing complications from infections. Therefore, patients and their primary care physicians must be on the lookout for signs of potentially serious infections that should be treated early and aggressively.

Additional

Complications of lung transplantation, usually caused by side effects of immunosuppressive therapy, include:

high blood pressure,
poor kidney function,
weak bones (osteoporosis),
weight gain and diabetes.

Medications are available to help manage these problems, but a healthy lifestyle, proper diet and exercise are equally important prescriptions for transplant patients.

Lung function is also monitored to identify and treat possible chronic rejection, also called bronchiolits obliterans, which is characterized by slowly progressive breathlessness.

Tumors and Cancer

Immunosuppressive therapy also makes transplant recipients more prone to developing tumors and cancer. Therefore, a healthy lifestyle, proper diet, strict avoidance of tobacco products, and regular checkups, are important, to screen for common preventable cancers, such as:
         
breast
cervix
colon
prostate
Skin

Important Links

Slip, Slop and Slap

Cancer Council

Rejection and Infection

Medications