A kidney transplant constitutes a major surgery where a foreign kidney from a donor is placed in your body for better organ function. Despite the procedure and what it entails, the recovery period is fairly short in comparison to similar procedures. While you'll need to visit your doctor regularly to test your new kidney's function, you should be able to return to regular activities in three weeks and begin exercising fully after three to six weeks of recovery time.
Recovery Time
After your surgery, you'll have several days of in-hospital recovery time. Not only will your incision healing be monitored, but your kidney function will need to be monitored as well. In the three to four weeks following the surgery, you'll have regular appointments to ensure that your new kidney is functioning well. During this time, you may begin to complete regular daily living activities, such as walking. As you begin to feel better, you can add higher-intensity activities, after three to six weeks recovery time.
Swimming and Healthy Exercise
You may swim in chlorinated pools as soon as your incision has healed and your drainage tubes have been removed. Swimming in non-chlorinated bodies of water is generally discouraged during the healing process, as they can contain harmful bacteria. Delay swimming in lakes and oceans until three to six months after recovery to ensure that your incision has properly healed and you no longer have a risk of infection. As you become stronger and your pain subsides, you can participate in other fitness activities, including walking, dancing and yoga.
Precautions
Even though your kidney transplant incision has a relatively quick recovery time before you start to feel better, you should still take certain precautions as you begin to exercise. You'll need to return to all of your follow-up care appointments to test the function of your kidney and the healing of your body. Avoid lifting weights for six to eight weeks following surgery. Avoid lifting anything over 20 lbs. for two to three months after the transplant and avoid lifting over 40 lbs. for six months after surgery.
Complications
Your doctor will ask that you stay close by the medical center where your kidney transplant was completed for a month after the surgery. This is because you'll need frequent monitoring and checkups. Not only can your incision become infected without the proper care, but transplant rejection could lead to a transplant failure in the weeks following the procedure. While you can slowly add exercise back into your daily routine, always check with your doctor before you begin any type of exercise regimen, especially swimming. She can offer tips for healthy exercise and help you watch for warning signs, such as a high temperature, fluid retention, sudden weight gain, tenderness at the incision site and decreased urine output.
