With the improvement of patient survival after living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT), not only a simple survey of mortality and morbidity but also health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of recipients after LDLT has become an important issue. The aim of this study was to assess HRQOL of LDLT recipients from the preoperative period to eighteen months following transplantation, evaluating the Short Form-36 Version 2 (SF-36v2) scores prospectively. Complete longitudinal SF-36v2 scores were collected from 35 consecutive LDLT recipients prior to surgery and at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months after transplantation. HRQOL scores were severely impaired in all dimensions preoperatively, however, these improved significantly along the time increasing continuously or reaching plateau during 18 months after transplant, while still remained lower than those of healthy controls in the majority of domains. Severity of liver disease represented by higher model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and Child-Turcotte-Pugh class C were associated with impaired scores preopreratively, while scores in such patients improved significantly after LDLT achieving comparable scores in every dimension at 12 months, meaning that the more impaired at pretransplant stage, the more improvement in both physical and mental conditions was achieved. Preoperative lower HRQOL scores and higher MELD scores affected independently on the significant physical and mental score gains during first year after LDLT.

In conclusion, present perceptions may help implementing measures aimed at improving recipient’s post-transplant life and establishing realistic expectations for LDLT recipients.

« Back to 2013 American Transplant Congress