Quality of life

In children, a marked increase in quality of life is usually observed after transplantation. The magnitude of this increase and how long it takes to achieve depend mainly on the patient’s physical condition at the time of transplantation. However, children can usually attend kindergarten or school again after 6 to 12 months.

For the children, this reintegration step is particularly important, especially for their mental and psychological attitude. Since problems can arise especially in older children, for instance by thinking about the organ’s origin and donor, fear of organ loss and the lifelong “medication dependency“, not only physical but also psychological care of the patients and their parents are of great importance.

After the conclusion of the inpatient and rehabilitation period, the little patients are physically fully fit. Regular sport, for example in a club, should be planned at an early stage for successful reintegration. It should be noted that the patients need a longer warming up period because of the denervation of the heart.

Nobody can predict how the new organ will develop after transplantation. However, it appears that the child’s body reacts with greater immune tolerance and can apparently come to terms better with a transplant compared with the results following transplantation in adulthood. However, regular and sometimes close monitoring is and remains essential.