Quality of life following liver transplantation: a comparative study between Familial Amyloid Neuropathy and liver disease patients.
BACKGROUND
It has been demonstrated in many studies that quality of life can be improved after liver transplantation in patients with liver disease. Nevertheless, quality of life improvement in specific groups of transplanted patients such as those with Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy has not yet been explored. The present study aimed to compare the change in quality of life following liver transplantation between patients with Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy (FAP) and patients with liver disease.


RESULTS
Patient's mental quality of life showed an improvement in all liver disease patients, and a worsening in FAP patients, resulting in a significant difference between the two groups. Regarding physical quality of life, although a similar improvement was seen in both groups, FAP patients had significantly less improvement than the sub-group of decompensated liver disease (Child-Pugh B and C).


CONCLUSIONS
It is concluded that liver transplantation has a less beneficial impact in FAP patient's physical quality of life, probably because they are not so much disabled by their disease at the moment of liver transplantation. The lesser improvement in mental quality of life of FAP patients may be due to their particular psychological profile and greater expectations towards transplantation.
Telles-Correia
Diogo
D
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal. tellesdiogo@gmail.com
Cortez-Pinto
Helena
H
Barbosa
António
A
Mega
Inês
I
Monteiro
Estela
E
D000328:Adult; D028227:Amyloid Neuropathies, Familial / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*