Quality of Life in Spanish Patients with Liver Transplant

Abstract

Background:Liver transplantation is the optimal method of treatment in patients with end-stage liver failure. Transplantation medicine has significantly progressed in the last time, but some psychology and psychosomatic problems still remain unsolved. Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) in liver transplant is considered a useful measure of evolutionary process of the illness. Objective:The authors analyzed the evolution of HRQL in pre-transplant (waiting-list patients) and post-transplant (first year after liver transplant) periods of liver transplant Spanish patients. Methods:A prospective and longitudinal study was carried out among patients who received a liver transplant from a deceased donor. They were assessed in four phases: at the time of inclusion on the transplant waiting-list, and 3, 6, and 12 months after receiving the graft. We used a structured interview and SF-36 and Euroqol-5D (EQ-5D) Health Questionnaires. Results:The greater differences were found between pre-transplant and post-transplant stages with less well-being in the stage before the transplant. No significantly differences were observed when comparing the 3, 6 and 12 months from post-transplant stage. Conclusion:The HQRL of liver patients improved after the transplant, being appreciated a tendency to the stabilization from three months onwards. We suggest that the psychological intervention, in liver patients, should be conducted in waiting-list patients and in the first 3 months post-transplant, periods with a poor mental health (anxiety, depression, and stress by fear to the unknown thing) and a low adhesion to the treatment that can generate a smaller graft and/or patient survival.

Design, measures and sample characteristics of the CadeViMa-Spain survey on quality of life in community-dwelling older adults

“…There are several studies focusing on social and health aspects of older adults in Spain that include QoL scales (Azpiazu Garrido et al ., 2003; Perez-San-Gregorio et al ., 2010). Longitudinal studies on aging have also been carried out (Zunzunegui et al ., 2006).…”

Contributors to individual quality of life after liver transplantation

“…Several studies have reported on quality of life in patients following liver transplantation [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Most of them used the SF-36 [2,3,[5][6][7][8][9]. Advantages of this survey are the opportunity of looking across a broad range of conditions and to compare scores with published norms of healthy or diseased population.…”

“…Several studies have reported on quality of life in liver transplant recipients [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. These studies used typically standardized measures for the evaluation of quality of life such as the SF-36.…”

A frailty index predicts post-liver transplant morbidity and mortality in HIV-positive patients

“…Patients often describe LT as a “re-birth”, meaning the biological and psychological aspect related to a new donated life. Along with the obvious psychological benefit of passing from facing death to a longer life expectancy, the health and liver-related symptoms gain after LT reflects in a well-documented improvement in health [ 45 – 48 ]. Physicians often describe LT as a “reverse time” story, somehow putting back the biological clock to the time before ESLD.…”