title: Mental and physical quality of life in actual living liver donors versus potential living liver donors: a prospective, controlled, multicenter study.
abstract: In a quasi-experimental design, we investigated the quality of life (QOL) in actual liver donors (n = 43) and potential liver donors (n = 33) before and 3 months after liver transplantation. This is the first study in this field combining a prospective design with an adequate control group. Potential donors served as a control group because they also had a relative in need of a liver transplant and were as emotionally involved with the recipient as actual donors, but they were not subjected to the donor operation. Groups did not differ in age, gender, marital status, donor-recipient relationship, urgency of transplantation, or recipient group (adult versus child). Actual donors showed decreased physical QOL, whereas potential donors were not affected. However, for both groups, a decrease in anxiety was found. Furthermore, actual donors showed a better mental QOL postoperatively than potential donors. The recipients of these 2 groups did not differ with respect to postoperative complications. Furthermore, the groups did not report a different caregiver burden, but actual donors showed higher self-esteem. Because of the surgery, the worsening of physical symptoms in actual donors was expected. It is remarkable, however, that although actual donors still showed a limited physical QOL 3 months after the operation, in both groups, a similar reduction in anxiety could be observed, and actual donors even demonstrated a better mental QOL postoperatively than potential donors. The latter might be due to a psychological benefit that actual donors derived from the fact that they were able to help the recipients.
authors: Department of Hepatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. khschulz@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors: Karl-Heinz
authors: KH
authors: Schulz
authors: Sylvia
authors: S
authors: Kroencke
authors: Mingo
authors: M
authors: Beckmann
authors: Silvio
authors: S
authors: Nadalin
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Paul
authors: Lutz
authors: L
authors: Fischer
authors: Björn
authors: B
authors: Nashan
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Senf
authors: Yesim
authors: Y
authors: Erim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D019520:Living Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors