The Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute
|
Programs Intestinal Failure and Transplantation What Should You Expect When You Come To See Us?
Introduction | Causes | What
Is It | Cases for Transplant |
Later, a multidisciplinary intestinal failure team will discuss your condition and decide if intestinal transplantation is the best option for you. If it is, you will be placed on the waiting list for a transplant. At the time of the transplant, you will probably need to stay in the hospital for 4-6 weeks. During this time, we will switch you from TPN to enteral (by mouth) nutrition. For the first few months after the transplant, you will have an ileostomy. We will adjust your immunosuppressive medications, we will perform endoscopy to evaluate the intestine for possible rejection, and we will treat rejection if it occurs. After discharge from the hospital, you will need periodic follow-up. If you do not live near the hospital, you may stay at the Transplant Living Center, just a few blocks away, for as long as necessary until you are ready to leave the area. You will require numerous new medications after the transplant. Prograf® is the mainstay of immunosuppression and must be taken for life to avoid rejection. Other medications include prednisone, Cellcept®, and antibiotics. These medications are standard at all intestinal transplant centers today. We will continue to monitor your blood levels of these medications after you leave. |
ou will require an extensive evaluation prior to consideration for transplant. This evaluation can be done entirely at Mount Sinai, or some of it can be done by your local doctor. You will meet with the transplant surgeon, nursing coordinators, a nutritionist, and a social worker as part of the evaluation. We will review your records, assess your physical condition, and draw blood for tests specifically required for transplantation.