Yuki Morooka1, Koji Umeshita1,2, Akinobu Taketomi3, Ken Shirabe3, Tomoharu Yoshizumi3, Mayumi Yamamoto4, Tsuyoshi Shimamura4, Akihiko Oshita5, Hideki Ohdan5, Naoki Kawagishi6, Kuniko Hagiwara7, Hidetoshi Eguchi2, Hiroaki Nagano2. 1. Division of Health Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan. 2. Department of Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan. 3. Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. 4. Division of Organ Transplantation, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan. 5. Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan. 6. Division of Organ Transplantation, Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Japan. 7. Division of Organ Transplantation, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
Abstract
AIMS: This study examined the long-term quality of life (QOL) of living liver donors (LLDs) in Japan using both generic and LLD-specific instruments. METHODS: The sample comprised 374 LLDs from five university hospitals in Japan who underwent surgery more than a year previously. QOL was evaluated using the Short Form-36 health survey (SF-36) and LLD-QOL scale. RESULTS: SF-36 results indicated that the overall long-term QOL of LLDs was significantly better than the Japanese standard. When comparing by donor factors, LLDs whose recipients were children scored higher for "satisfaction" than those whose recipients were adults on the LLD-QOL scale. LLDs with complications had lower QOL for "scars" and "burden" on the LLD-QOL scale but no differences in SF-36 scores. LLDs with longer hospital stay had lower physical QOL on SF-36 and lower QOL for "scars" and "after-effects" on the LLD-QOL scale. LLDs whose recipients have died showed lower mental QOL on SF-36 and lower "satisfaction" and greater "lack of understanding of donor health" on the LLD-QOL scale. CONCLUSIONS: Our multicenter study clarified the long-term QOL of LLDs and suggested that donors' QOL was related to the donors' and recipients' ages, donor's complications and hospital stay length, and recipient's prognosis.
AIMS: This study examined the long-term quality of life (QOL) of living liver donors (LLDs) in Japan using both generic and LLD-specific instruments. METHODS: The sample comprised 374 LLDs from five university hospitals in Japan who underwent surgery more than a year previously. QOL was evaluated using the Short Form-36 health survey (SF-36) and LLD-QOL scale. RESULTS: SF-36 results indicated that the overall long-term QOL of LLDs was significantly better than the Japanese standard. When comparing by donor factors, LLDs whose recipients were children scored higher for "satisfaction" than those whose recipients were adults on the LLD-QOL scale. LLDs with complications had lower QOL for "scars" and "burden" on the LLD-QOL scale but no differences in SF-36 scores. LLDs with longer hospital stay had lower physical QOL on SF-36 and lower QOL for "scars" and "after-effects" on the LLD-QOL scale. LLDs whose recipients have died showed lower mental QOL on SF-36 and lower "satisfaction" and greater "lack of understanding of donor health" on the LLD-QOL scale. CONCLUSIONS: Our multicenter study clarified the long-term QOL of LLDs and suggested that donors' QOL was related to the donors' and recipients' ages, donor's complications and hospital stay length, and recipient's prognosis.