Renal and Small Bowel Transplantation and Rejection
Medical science has made a lot of noteworthy advancements across many fields. One of the most celebrated advancements is transplantation. There are many types of transplants, but in this article, we're going to discuss renal transplant as well as renal transplant rejection. We will also touch briefly on the small bowel transplant rejection.
Let us first discuss what transplant and transplant rejection actually means. Transplantation is a medical process, where a specific organ is removed from the body and then replaced with a healthy organ from a donor. Transplant rejection is when the new organ that has been transplanted into the recipient’s body starts to get rejected. Rejection is when the transplanted tissue gets attacked and destroyed by the recipient's own body. There can be many reasons for rejection, let's delve into a few!
Causes of Transplant Rejection
Our immune system's primary job is to protect us from foreign particles such as germs, toxins, and other substances that are possible threats to our body. Sometimes, when a transplant takes place, the new organ is recognized as foreign by our immune system. This is one of the main reasons why doctors always try to match your antigens with that of the donor’s. The closer the antigens match, the fewer chances of transplant rejection. If all else fails and the immune system begins to attack the new organ; immunosuppressants are prescribed to help reduce, and if possible stop further damage.
Types of Rejections
● Hyperacute rejection – This happens soon after the organ is transplanted and the antigens remain unmatched. It occurs when a recipient receives the wrong type of blood group. For instance, if a patient with blood type A gets the organ from a blood type B donor.
● Acute rejection - This usually takes place during the first week of the transplant and the risk continues for the first 3 months. If caught and treated early it can be reversible allowing the transplanted organ to survive.
● Chronic rejection- This usually takes place over time and is often seen many years after the transplant. Chronic rejection rarely shows symptoms but it's often caused by excessive scarring. It's important to control cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels to avoid this type of rejection.
Types of transplantations and transplant rejections
Renal transplant
Renal transplant is the transplant of a kidney(s) in patients suffering from end-stage renal disease or severe chronic kidney disease. This procedure greatly improves the life of the patient and is more successful than dialysis.
Renal transplant rejection–
In essence, renal transplant rejection is the aforementioned, however, it gets divided into a few more categories:
1. Hyperacute rejection – It typically happens just a few minutes after the transplant. This rejection is a result of antibody or ABO incompatibility.
2. Antibody-mediated rejection – This is a direct cause of the recipient's antibodies. This rejection causes the kidney severe injuries.
3. Acute T-cell mediated rejection – Acute rejection spreads quickly and it affects the lymphocytic tubules, interstitium, and even the arterial intima.
4. Chronic rejection- Takes place months after the transplant. The rejection can be chronic antibody-mediated rejection or chronic T cells mediated rejection.
Small Bowel Transplant– Small Bowel transplant is a surgery performed on patients having intestinal failure. The biggest complications with small bowel transplants arise with graft rejection.
Small bowel transplant rejection- Graft rejection can be considered the main reason for complications and even mortality.
Unlike renal transplant rejection, small bowel transplant rejection affects 50% - 75% of patients. Most small bowel recipients suffer from acute rejection, while 15% of them suffer from chronic rejection. The success rate for small bowel transplantation is 70% or better for a three-year survival.
If you need more information or would like to receive personalized diagnostics to improve the success of your renal or small bowel transplant procedure, visit www.plexision.com.
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