Quality of life after liver transplantation. A systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
Although many studies have reported significant improvements in quality of life (QOL) after liver transplantation (LT), consistent data on areas of improvement are lacking. To perform a systematic review on medical literature of QOL after LT paying particular attention to studies that utilized the most commonly adopted study instrument, Short Form-36 (SF-36).


METHODS
To collect studies focused on QOL in adult LT recipients, from 1963 to 2007, cited in Pub Med, Embase or Cochrane databases. From an initial identification of 613 articles, we selected 44 longitudinal studies with pre- and post-LT data that we assessed using a sign test, and 19 used SF-36, which we analyzed separately.


RESULTS
Longitudinal data showed remarkable improvement of common domains of QOL comparing pre- and post-transplant items. However, analysis of 16 SF-36 cross-sectional studies comparing post-LT patient domains with control population showed significantly higher ratings for controls in six while no differences were found in two.


CONCLUSIONS
This review suggests that whereas general QOL improves after LT, when compared with healthy controls, LT recipients have significant deficits in QOL. Consequently, the previously reported QOL benefits after LT may have been overstated.
Tome
Santiago
S
Liver Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago, C/Choupana s/n, Santiago de Compostela 15705, Spain. santiagotomemar@yahoo.es
Wells
Jennifer T
JT
Said
Adnan
A
Lucey
Michael R
MR
D006801:Humans; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires