After the surgery, the patient spends a few days in the intensive care unit and is then transferred to the regular In-Patient Unit.

Anti-rejection (or immunosuppressive) therapy begins during the transplant and goes on for the whole life of the transplanted patient. Combined medications must be administered in appropriate dosages to inhibit some functions of the immune system, which would otherwise recognize the new organ as foreign and try to reject it. The effectiveness of the treatment depends on the balanced dosage of the administered drugs (according to specific protocols adapted to the needs of each patient) and can be verified by a periodic monitoring of blood tests. For this reason, and to verify the correct function of the transplanted kidney, transplanted patients undergo periodic check-ups at the ISMETT OPC, at first on a weekly basis and, afterwards, about every 40 days. One year after the transplant, a consult every 6-12 months is sufficient.