Kidney transplantation is a major surgery. In this surgery, doctors will remove your damaged/malfunctioning kidney and replace it with a healthy kidney from a donor. A successful kidney transplantation surgery will greatly increase your life expectancy if doctors have diagnosed you with chronic kidney disease.

However, some kidney transplantation surgeries have a better outcome than others do. This is mainly due to some factors that can affect the chances of success before and after the surgery. Here is a look at what these factors are.

Pre-surgery:

You may not be able to control what happens before the transplantation surgery, but here are some things that can affect your chances of a healthy life:

1. Age of the donor and the recipient: Younger people have healthier bodies and easily recover from surgery. Therefore, to achieve the best results in kidney transplantation surgery, it is important for the kidney donor to be young. Kidneys from a younger donor are likely to be healthier and function better for a longer time. For instance, if donor A is 60 years old and donor B is 30 years old, the outcome of transplant will be better if you receive the kidney from donor B. Similarly, if you are too old, your body may reject the transplanted kidney. However, your body will easily adjust to the transplant if you are young.

2. Living donors are better: If you receive a kidney from a living donor, the surgery is much more likely to be successful. In most cases of living donors, a friend or family member donates the kidney to the patient. Therefore, if you have a friend or relative willing to donate a kidney to you, you should opt for that instead of waiting for a kidney from a dead donor.

Post-surgery:

When you undergo a kidney transplant, you can develop heart diseases. Here are some things that will help you prevent that-

1. Keep blood pressure low

Some medications for your kidney disease can lead to an increase in blood pressure. Therefore, you should consult the doctor and report the elevated blood pressure, so that he/she can change the medicine. Additional medication may be required to keep your blood pressure under check so that you do not develop cardiac conditions.

2. Keep cholesterol levels in check:

To prevent organ rejection after the transplant surgery, doctors prescribe immunosuppressants. These drugs can increase cholesterol levels in the blood, which leads to blood and heart disorders. Therefore, you need to reduce cholesterol intake through diet. Ask your doctor about exercises that you can do to reduce cholesterol build up in the body.

Lastly, maintaining proper body weight is also essential after kidney transplantation surgery. Taking these measures will keep your overall body healthy while keeping heart disease and other problems at bay.

How To Achieve Best Results In Kidney Transplantation?

Formation of blood clots in the arteries of the lungs, heart or legs can actually kill a person. In such a case, the immediate medical action is necessary and the only way to deal with blood clots is thrombolysis.
Thrombolysis or thrombolytic therapy is a medical process that dissolves blood clots and facilitates blood flow to all parts of the body. Thus, it protects tissues and muscles from damage.

What are the causes of blood clots in the body?

  Poor blood circulation
  Conditions such as Deep Venous Thrombosis and atrial fibrillation
  Blood clots can also be formed because of dialysis catheters and by-pass grafts

How can you tell if you have blood clots?

  Swelling in one or more legs
  Cramp and tenderness in the legs
  Breathing trouble might indicate that blood clots have travelled to the lungs
  Sweating and frequent chest pain may suggest that blood clots have travelled to the heart

How is Thrombolysis performed?

Thrombolytic drugs are injected into the body intravenously. They make their way to where the blood clots exist and dissolve them. If there is a medical emergency, the drugs are delivered to the exact location of the blood clots and immediately start dissolving them. Another method is inserting a device into the blood clot infested region to break the clots up. The drugs which on entering the body dissolve blood clots are called thrombolytics. There are many varieties of thrombolytics such as the following-

  Streptokinase - It is a kind of enzyme. It is used when a person has just suffered a heart attack or pulmonary embolism. Doctors do not usually prescribe the second usage of this drug. It is injected into a vein and can be administered to pregnant women.

  Tenecteplase - Also an enzyme, it is a plasminogen activator. When it binds to the surface of the blood clot, it makes the clot degenerate.

  Reteplase - It is actually extracted from E-Coli. It is a sterile intravenous bolus injection

The leading cause of heart attacks and ischemic heart disorder is the formation of blood clots in the arteries that connect the heart and the brain. Thrombolysis is often employed as an emergency treatment for this purpose. Thrombolysis is also effective against blood clots formed in the lungs (which lead to acute pulmonary embolism). Sometimes blood clots are formed in the legs, upper extremities of the body, the pelvic region (deep vein thrombosis). These clots may travel to the lungs and heart.

Consult your doctor before undergoing the treatment.

Thrombolysis - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Of It!

Enlarged prostate surgery is a very common type of surgery that many have to undergo nowadays. An enlarged prostate causes many health problems including urinary tract obstructions and urinary tract infections. It may also lead to the passing of blood via urine. Thus, enlarged prostate must be treated as soon as possible as neglect may lead to prostate cancer and its associated health issues. There are various types of prostate surgeries that a doctor performs on his/her patients. However, of late, radical prostatectomy is the most popular of them all.

What is Radical Prostatectomy?

This process can be handled in two ways. Firstly, the prostate can be reached through an incision in the abdomen. This would help the doctor work with precision and carefully avoid all the other nerves and muscles in the area the operation take places. The prostate is examined and any nodule or lymph formed over it is carefully removed. The advantage of this surgery is that the patient is less likely to suffer from any erectile problems post- surgery. The second option would be to make an incision between the scrotum and the anus. This process is best for those who are obese. The surgery is performed quickly and there is less loss of blood. Furthermore, the healing time is less too.

How To Recover From The Surgery?

Like most other prostate operations, even in radical prostatectomy, you would have to wear a catheter till you recover completely. For a few days post the surgery your urine would be collected through a urine bag attached to the catheter. One might feel a little sore in his/her genitals after the surgery, but that is quite normal to occur. The soreness is caused due to the surgery and the incisions made and would heal in a matter of a few days. Interestingly, since the urethra plays an important role in this surgery, the catheter has to be in place for at least two to three weeks but the patient can be discharged after a two to three night stay at the hospital. It is advised that the patient takes ample rest. But this does not mean all rest and no work. In fact, it is seen that patients can walk a little and even go back to a normal diet within a week to ten days of the operation. But regular checkups, till the urethra is healed, are compulsory.

Hence, these are some of the recovery procedures after an enlarged prostate surgery. Such surgeries are quite common and heal quickly.

What To Expect Post An Enlarged Prostate Surgery?

Gastric bypass is a kind of bariatric surgery, which helps in weight loss. This surgery aims to make changes so that your stomach becomes smaller than it used to be. This limits the amount of food you consume and effectively helps you to reduce weight.

Are you fit for the surgery?

Not everybody can go in for this surgery. Your doctor will recommend this surgery after careful evaluation. These are the parameters based on which your doctor will make a decision-

  Your medical history - If you suffer from sleep apnoea, heart ailments, liver diseases, kidney stones or if you have blood clots then you might have to undergo the surgery.

  Your psychological status - Sometimes obesity is the outcome of certain psychological ailments. A doctor will first ensure that these conditions are addressed before you go under the knife.

How is the surgery performed?

Gastric bypass operation is performed under general anaesthesia so you will be asleep for the entire duration of the surgery and it will be pain-free. The surgery is done laparoscopically. Tiny incisions are made through which scope and fine surgical instruments are introduced into the abdominal cavity. The camera guides the surgeon by providing live images from inside the body. Laparoscopic gastric surgery is advantageous because the wound heals faster and does not leave any marks.

Sometimes your surgeon might opt for an open surgery where she/he makes a large incision to reach the stomach.

There are two major steps to the surgery-

  The aim of the surgery is to make the stomach smaller so the surgeon divides it into two portions with staples. The food that you eat will go into the upper part (the pouch) of the stomach. The reduced upper stomach can hold at the most 28 grams of food so you are forced to eat less than usual. This will help you lose weight.

  The other step is the bypass surgery. After the pouch is created, the surgeon links it to the small intestine through the small hole in the pouch. This way, food will pass directly from the pouch to the small intestine. The surgery takes around 3-4 hours. You will be kept under observation for a couple of days and you will be released from the hospital in a week.

Gastric bypass operation is an effective and simple surgery that can help you reach your weight goals when you have a very high BMI and most other dietary restrictions have not been successful.

Gastric Bypass Surgery - Everything You Should Know!

The prostate gland in males surrounds the urethra, through which urine and sperm are passed out of the body. Its function is to secrete a fluid, which provides nourishment to the sperm. It is about the shape of a walnut and is present between the pubic bone and the rectum.

As a man crosses 40, the prostate gland begins to increase in size due to an increase in the number of cells. This is known as hyperplasia.  The condition is usually benign and therefore the name benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). As it continues to grow, there is an increased pressure on the urethra. Therefore, there can be problems with urination. The bladder, being a muscular organ, compensates to some extent and so the problems with urination are mostly managed. If left untreated, this can continue to be a major problem and the bladder may not be able to compensate. In men who are 60-plus, BPH is very common.

Signs and symptoms 

One of the initial symptoms of BPH is when the urine stream begins to grow weak.
There could also be a reduced speed of passing urine.
Men with BPH never have a feeling of complete emptying of the bladder.
On the other hand, there is also a constant difficulty in initiating a urine stream. There could be intermittent breaks in the urine stream.
The person may feel the need to strain to initiate the stream and to ensure complete emptying.
There could be dribbling of urine after passing urine.
The duration between two bathroom visits can constantly reduce, with the constant urge to urinate.
There is a constant urge to visit the bathroom, which is more common in the night. One of the most annoying features of BPH is the walking up at night to urinate, but with an inability to initiate a stream and an inability to completely empty the bladder, it leaves the person very irritated and frustrated.
There could be blood in the urine. In fact, blood in the urine accompanied by fever, chills, nausea and vomiting are indications of an emergency.
There could be blockage of urine completely, if the enlargement is quite severe.
Diagnosis
If you are having any of these symptoms, then the doctor will first test for an enlarged prostate through a digital rectal exam. Then a test is done to check a chemical called prostate specific antigen.  Increased levels of this chemical is almost always indicative of BPH. In addition, X-rays and scanning may be used to confirm diagnosis. 

Treatment
Though medications are available, confirmatory treatment is through surgical removal. The procedure needs a inimum of 2 to 3 days.

Enlarged Prostate - 10 Warning Signs To Watch Out For

Obesity is a major problem across the world. In India, fast foods and an unhealthy lifestyle have led to widespread obesity as well. While following a proper diet and leading a healthy life can help manage obesity and weight gain in most cases, severely obese people require surgeries to lose weight.

Weight loss surgery, known as bariatric surgery, aims to reduce hunger and appetite in extremely obese people. However, simply undergoing surgery does not guarantee positive results. In fact, the lifestyle changes post-surgery is the most important factor to keep the extra weight off your body.

Recovery post bariatric surgery:

If you undergo a bariatric surgery, your lifestyle changes will depend on the procedure of the surgery. For instance, in laparoscopic bariatric surgery, the recovery period is short. In this surgery, the doctor will make 5-6 very small incisions on your stomach. He will then insert a tube-like equipment with a camera in your stomach and carry out the surgery.

Since very small incisions are made instead of a large cut, you will be discharged within a week. Furthermore, you can return to your normal routine within a month.

Lifestyle changes to follow:

1. Eating healthy: Post the surgery, you will need to follow a low sugar and low-fat diet. If this is a break from your usual diet then you need to get used to this diet, since you will need to stick to it for a long time. Immediately after the surgery, you will need to stick to a liquid diet, so that your stomach can adjust to the food.

Once your stomach starts adjusting to the sudden change, consume soft proteins. You will be able to return to solid foods around six months after your surgery. In the initial six months, it is essential to avoid foods such as white bread, pasta, and potatoes. Furthermore, you need to consult your doctor before consuming certain medicines such as painkillers.

2. Exercise daily:

Exercise becomes vital in your long-term goal of losing excess weight after the surgery. Your doctor will first need to clear you to take part in light activities, which will help enhance your body s metabolism. Joining a gym is helpful in this regard   you will have access to trainers and training equipment to help you exercise correctly. However, make sure to inform your instructor of your surgery before beginning an exercise regimen.

Most people fail to understand that you do not magically lose weight after bariatric surgery. You will need to maintain a healthy lifestyle if you want to achieve an ideal body mass and stay in shape. Therefore, you need to be committed to the procedure for the rest of your life.

Lifestyle After Bariatric Surgery!

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