Quality of life following live donor renal transplantation: a single centre experience.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to examine the quality of life (QoL) of the live donor renal transplant (LDRTx) recipients pre- and post-transplantation and correlate with their pre-transplant (pre-Tx) dialysis status and immunosuppressive regimens post-transplantation (post-Tx).


METHODS
57 LDRTx recipients and 38 healthy individuals as controls participated in the study. The Kidney Transplant Questionnaire (KTQ) and the Medical Outcome Survey Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaires were used to assess QoL.


RESULTS
The post-Tx scores in all SF-36 dimensions were significantly higher in the LDRTx recipients, but remained lower than that of the control group. However, in the KTQ, all dimensions except Appearance (p=0.035), significantly increased post-Tx Patients transplanted pre-emptively and those on tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive drugs had significantly better QoL.


CONCLUSIONS
LDRTx significantly improved QoL, which was best with preemptive transplantation and tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive regimens.
Shrestha
Alice
A
Sheffield Kidney Institute, UK. shresthabm@doctors.net.uk
Shrestha
Anne
A
Basarab-Horwath
Caroline
C
McKane
William
W
Shrestha
Badri
B
Raftery
Andrew
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult