Renal transplantation: outcome
Kidney transplantion improves the muldimensional quality of life

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.transproceed.2004.03.094Get rights and content

Abstract

Introduction

Quality of life is affected during any illness, especially chronic diseases, such as renal failure.

Objective

To evaluate the quality of life after kidney transplantation.

Methods

One hundred patients were interviewed (60 men, 40 women, mean age 36 ± 10.4 years, median 35 years) from July to October 2000 using the multidimensional questionnaire WHOQL-Bref.

Results

Eighty-eight percent of patients were satisfied/very satisfied with their general health condition. Seventy-seven percent manifested a good capacity to carry out daily activities, and 75% considered themselves satisfied with their work capacity. Quality of life was considered “very good” or “good” among 80%, and “neither good nor bad” in 20%. None considered quality of life in general as “bad” or “very bad.” Most (87%) were satisfied with their current condition and with themselves after the kidney transplant.

Conclusion

Patients perceive kidney transplant as capable of improving their quality of life. The most important finding in this study is that the results of the physical and psychological domains did not show any significant difference. It was possible to conclude that the quality of life for most subjects is related to reduction or disappearance of the symptoms caused by the previous disease.

Section snippets

Patients and methods

The study included a cohort of 100 patients regularly followed after a previous kidney transplant. The patients had good courses with creatinine levels ≤2.5 mg/dL, without acute rejection of the kidney. They had not been diagnosed with mental disease or altered mental state from medications. The analysis included the total scores for domains, excluding the 12 patients who failed to completely fill in the questionnaire. All patients gave informed consent to participate in the study. The standard

Results

Patients of mean age of 36 ± 10.31 years and median of 35 years were predominantly male (60 men, 40 women). The mean posttransplant follow-up was 87 ± 61.6 months (median of 73 months). Married patients represented 62% with 51% completing basic schooling.

Transplant patients were satisfied/very satisfied with their general health condition in 90%, 76% felt reported a good capacity to perform daily activities, and 74% were satisfied with their capacity for work. Most patients (86%) were satisfied

Discussion

Although in kidney transplantation, there are not many quality-of-life studies using the multidimensional definition, most studies have shown that patients notice improvements in their global quality of life, especially physical function.2, 3, 4, 5 The data suggest that after transplantation patients recover a portion of the capacities that they had before the chronic kidney failure, because transplant allows a less restrictive diet, in most cases, a better use of time, and improved mobility.

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