Where do I go after my surgery?
After your transplant surgery, you will go to the intensive care unit (ICU). The ICU team will care for you. How much time you spend in the ICU is different for everyone.
Once you are stable and your breathing tube has been removed, you will be sent to an inpatient unit.
You will be weak after your surgery, but you will slowly resume an active role in caring for yourself.
What can I do in the hospital after my surgery to help with my recovery?
- Follow the instructions of your healthcare team.
- Ask for medicines when you are in pain.
- Practice
deep breathing and coughing techniques.
- Change positions in bed and keep moving your arms and legs.
- Work with the physiotherapist to help regain your strength.
- Work with the occupational therapist to help you get back to your daily activities.
If you have mental health issues like depression or anxiety, it’s possible that these may get worse after your transplant. Your post-transplant team can contact transplant social work for assessment and possible referral to a mental health specialist. Visit
Help in Tough Times for a list of resources that you can access when you’re feeling stressed or are having a difficult time.
When will I be able to leave the hospital after my liver transplant?
After a liver transplant, everyone stays in the hospital for a different amount of time.
You will leave the hospital when:
- The surgical and medical teams decide that you are medically and physically stable enough to go home.
- You have talked to your post-transplant coordinator, transplant pharmacist, diabetes educator (if needed), and transplant social worker (if needed).
- You have received and read your post-transplant material and watched the
videos on cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein Barr virus (EBV), and increased risk donors (IRD) (if applicable).
- You have learned how to take your own medicines.
- You are able to recognize the signs of infection and rejection.
What do I need to do on the day I leave the hospital (day of discharge)?
On the day you leave the hospital, make sure that you have:
- picked up your medicines and reviewed them with your nurse
- received information about where and when to get your lab tests done
- received follow-up appointment information for the transplant hepatology clinic and the transplant surgery clinic
- reviewed your After Visit Summary (AVS) with your nurse or transplant coordinator
- your support person available to drive you home from the hospital
