title: Health-related quality of life after solid organ transplantation: a prospective, multiorgan cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Short-term posttransplantation survival and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is exceptionally high for all patients after organ transplantation; however, predictors of the HRQoL outcome are not well understood. Trajectories of patients' perceived benefit/burden ratio associated with the transplant procedure may differ when taking the organ type for transplantation into account.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, single-center cohort study assessed the trajectories of 354 patients after kidney (n=165), liver (n=53), heart (n=24), and lung (n=112) transplantation at 2, 6, 12, and 24 months with respect to psychosocial outcomes (HRQoL, anxiety, depression, social support, and work performance).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 50±13 years, and 61.6% were male in the overall sample. Demographics differed with respect to organ type. HRQoL measured by the mean SF-36 Physical Component Scale was 36.8 (95% confidence interval, 35.7-37.8) and 48.9 (95% confidence interval, 47.2-49.7) for the Psychosocial Component Scale for the entire sample at 2 months and showed a marginal decrease until 24 months after transplantation. Overall, HRQoL increased for all organ types with differing trajectories. Liver patients reported the lowest HRQoL benefit for the majority of the physical (P≤0.01) and psychosocial (P≤0.01) SF-36 subscales. Anxiety (17.4%) and depression (13.8%) were prevalent in the overall sample. Depression symptoms impaired HRQoL outcomes in both SF-36 components and unemployment impacted the SF-36 psychosocial outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HRQoL improved after transplantation for all four types of transplant, but the trajectories were different. Regular screening for depression symptoms may diminish psychologic disorders and distress after transplantation and thus may further improve outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Hannover Thoracic Transplant Program, Division of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation, and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. christiane.kugler@uni-wh.de
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kugler
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gottlieb
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Warnecke
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Weissenborn
authors.forename: Hannelore
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Barg-Hock
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bara
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Einhorn
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haverich
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life