Swimming after lung transplantation

Question

Hello,
I would like to know if and when one can go swimming after a double-lung transplantation. In an outdoor swimming pool / lake / indoor swimming pool? And where is the problem in general?
Thank you!

Answer

Dear questioner,
PD Dr. Jens Gottlieb from the medical school in Hannover [Germany] answered your question as follows:
"Also lung transplanted patients can go swimming after some time. Thereby, however, some precaution measures should be taken into account.
As a consequence of the necessary immunosuppression, the immue system is weakened and therefore the risk of infection is higher than in non-transplanted people. While swimming one can therefore get probably infected with germs, that grow in a humid environment. The risk of infection is mostly the highest in first months after transplantation, as at this time the highest dosage of immunosuppressive drugs is taken and the wound healing is not yet finished.
Therefore, in the first half year after transplantation one should not go to public swimming pools at all. After that, the visit of public outdoor swimming pools or swimming in the sea as well as in lakes, that have been judged by authorities to be uncritical concerning the cleanness, is most often possible. Stays in indoor swimming halls, thermal baths (steam baths) and saunas are however not recommended after transplantation. In rooms with high water- or air-temperatures the germal load is often higher than outdoors.
In general it is always advisable to ask the treating physician, if there are any objections against swimming. He can best judge the individual risk of the transplanted patient. "
Yours sincerely,
Annette Pfalz for ECORN-CF

24.07.2013