Eat Well, Live Well: The Importance of Nutrition for the Transplant Patient

By: Emory Transplant Center
Date: Apr 30, 2015
Transplant CareOrgan TransplantNutrition
A man sitting on a bench in the gym lifting a hand weight

We all know good nutrition plays a critical role in overall health. But for transplant patients, good nutrition is especially important. Francoise Maillet, a clinical dietitian who works with the Emory Transplant Center, wrote an informative article that highlights the importance of nutrition and the powerful impact it has on the wellbeing of a transplant patient’s life.

“In the waiting period prior to a transplant, good nutrition plays a vital role in helping the potential recipient maintain maximum health and wellbeing. This can greatly affect the transplant surgery itself, the healing process, and also the quality of life afterward,” Maillet writes in her article, Eat Well to Live Long.

Cancer Care

Nationally recognized transplant care

At Emory Transplant, we’re here to guide every step of the way, with transplant care that’s built around your needs and your life. Learn about our transplant programs or call 855-366-7989.

She continues on to say that post-transplant, the need for calories, protein, vitamins and minerals is increased during recovery. If nutritional needs are not met, malnutrition occurs. Malnutrition is when the body is significantly deprived of adequate nutrition. When the body is malnourished, there is a decrease in muscle mass and protein stores, leading to an impaired immune response (meaning the body will have difficulty fighting infection). Malnutrition can also interfere with the body’s ability to heal a wound; resulting in a lack of the building blocks needed to build and repair tissue.

A balanced, healthy diet will promote recovery and wellness. Prior to transplant, it is important to meet with a clinical nutritionist who can evaluate your diet and teach you the right foods to eat in order to meet your individual needs before and after transplant. Making healthy food choices is essential for your best outcome.

To learn more, visit the Emory Transplant Center.

Nationally recognized transplant care

About Emory Transplant

As the third largest transplant program in the nation, Emory Transplant is relentlessly focused on smarter care and better outcomes — pioneering therapies and possibilities for our patients.

With more than 13,000 transplants performed to date, our team combines advanced expertise with meaningful connections, listening to your needs and helping you get back to the life you love. We are home to the largest kidney transplant program in the nation, and provide the latest innovation in heart, liver, lung and pancreas transplant surgeries.

Related Posts

  • transplantsafety2000x1333
    How Emory Transplant Center is Keeping Your Safety First
    Learn how Emory Transplant Center is keeping patients, visitors, physicians and staff safe during COVID-19, as well as information on telemedicine options.
  • an image of a Liver
    Emory’s Liver Tumor Clinic Helps Patients Find Answers, Delivers Better Outcomes
    The Liver Tumor Clinic at Emory Healthcare delivers coordinated, multidisciplinary care for individuals with liver or bile duct cancer and better outcomes.
  • doctor on facetime video with patient
    In Less Than Three Weeks, Stacy Had a New Liver — Thanks, in Part, to Emory Connected Care
    With Stacy facing liver failure during COVID-19, she needed help. Thanks to Emory Connected telehealth Stacy received a new liver in just 17 days.
Transplant CareOrgan TransplantNutrition
Emory Healthcare Pulse

For more stories and health and wellness tips, sign up for our monthly newsletter.

 

Sign Up

Recent Posts