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Mental and physical quality of life in actual living liver donors versus potential living liver donors: A prospective, controlled, multicenter study
Author(s) -
Schulz KarlHeinz,
Kroencke Sylvia,
Beckmann Mingo,
Nadalin Silvio,
Paul Andreas,
Fischer Lutz,
Nashan Björn,
Senf Wolfgang,
Erim Yesim
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
liver transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.814
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1527-6473
pISSN - 1527-6465
DOI - 10.1002/lt.21917
Subject(s) - medicine , liver transplantation , quality of life (healthcare) , prospective cohort study , living donor liver transplantation , multicenter study , gerontology , intensive care medicine , transplantation , randomized controlled trial , nursing
In a quasi‐experimental design, we investigated the quality of life (QOL) in actual liver donors (n = 43) and potential liver donors (n = 33) before and 3 months after liver transplantation. This is the first study in this field combining a prospective design with an adequate control group. Potential donors served as a control group because they also had a relative in need of a liver transplant and were as emotionally involved with the recipient as actual donors, but they were not subjected to the donor operation. Groups did not differ in age, gender, marital status, donor‐recipient relationship, urgency of transplantation, or recipient group (adult versus child). Actual donors showed decreased physical QOL, whereas potential donors were not affected. However, for both groups, a decrease in anxiety was found. Furthermore, actual donors showed a better mental QOL postoperatively than potential donors. The recipients of these 2 groups did not differ with respect to postoperative complications. Furthermore, the groups did not report a different caregiver burden, but actual donors showed higher self‐esteem. Because of the surgery, the worsening of physical symptoms in actual donors was expected. It is remarkable, however, that although actual donors still showed a limited physical QOL 3 months after the operation, in both groups, a similar reduction in anxiety could be observed, and actual donors even demonstrated a better mental QOL postoperatively than potential donors. The latter might be due to a psychological benefit that actual donors derived from the fact that they were able to help the recipients. Liver Transpl 15:1676–1687, 2009. © 2009 AASLD.