Following liver transplant surgery, patients are taken to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). When they awaken, they are attached to special equipment including a ventilator that helps them breathe, and several tubes and drains to remove fluid from the body.
Recovery after surgery varies from patient to patient based on the severity of their illness before surgery and the complexity of the surgery.
An average stay in the hospital after the surgery is six to ten days but may be longer depending on how ill the patient was before surgery. Time spent in the hospital recovering, includes physical therapy and education about self-care, medications, nutrition and exercise.