Treatment:

The goal of treatment is to make sure the transplanted organ or tissue works properly, and to suppress your immune system response. Suppressing the immune response can prevent transplant rejection.

Many different drugs can be used to suppress the immune response. The medication dose depends on your condition. The dose may be very high while the tissue is being rejected. Then the dose may be lowered to prevent rejection from happening again.

Expectations (prognosis):

Some organ and tissue transplants are more successful than others. If rejection begins, drugs that suppress the immune system may stop the rejection. Most people need to take these drugs for the rest of their life.

Even though potent drugs are used to suppress the immune system, organ transplants can still fail because of rejection.

Single episodes of acute rejection are easy to treat and rarely lead to organ failure.

Chronic rejection is the leading cause of organ transplant failure. The organ slowly loses its function and symptoms start to appear. This type of rejection cannot be effectively treated with medicines. Some people may need another transplant.

Complications:

• Certain cancers (in some people who take strong immune suppressing drugs for a long time)
• Infections (because the person's immune system is suppressed)
• Loss of function in the transplanted organ/tissue
• Side effects of medications, which may be severe

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if the transplanted organ or tissue does not seem to be working properly or if other symptoms occur. Also, call your health care provider if medication side effects develop.