Psychological strain in urgent indications for living donor liver transplantation.
The ethical soundness of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in urgent indications is still under discussion. The aim of the survey was to investigate the psychological distress of donors in cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or acute liver failure (ALF). In a prospective multicenter study (n = 123), health-related quality of life (QOL), anxiety, and depression were measured. The psychological distress of donors was correlated to the degree of urgency of the recipients' indication, which was classified as nonurgent, HCC, or ALF. During the donor evaluation prior to LDLT, the donors with recipients for HCC and ALF demonstrated significantly reduced mental QOL in comparison to donors for a nonurgent indication and to the German normative sample. Compared to healthy controls, anxiety and depression were significantly increased in donors for ALF. Three months after the transplantation, scores for mental QOL as well as for anxiety and depression improved and were within the normal range for the whole group as well as for the ALF donors. In conclusion, the psychological burden was temporary in nature. Our findings can be considered as arguments for the current practice to address family members as donors in cases of HCC and ALF.
Erim
Yesim
Y
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Essen, Essen, Germany. yesim.erim@uni-essen.de
Beckmann
Mingo
M
Kroencke
Sylvia
S
Valentin-Gamazo
Camino
C
Malago
Massimo
M
Broering
Dieter
D
Rogiers
Xavier
X
Frilling
Andrea
A
Broelsch
Christoph E
CE
Schulz
Karl-Heinz
KH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D046148:Donor Selection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000601:surgery; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D019520:Living Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome