title: Self-assessment of postoperative scars in living liver donors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The application of less invasive techniques for liver surgery in patients undergoing living donor hepatectomy (LDH) has been reported. The objective of this study was to evaluate physical status according to type of incision in donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and forty-seven living liver donors underwent hepatectomy using three types of incisions: (i) Mercedes-Benz incision (M.B.), (ii) right subcostal incision with midline up to xiphoid incision (S.C.), and (iii) short upper midline incision (U.M.). A total of 100 donors answered the questionnaires, and 87 had sufficient data for the analyses. An original questionnaire designed to evaluate the physical status concerning postoperative scars. The questionnaire consisted of three major categories: appearance, sensation, and daily activities. The univariate analysis was performed using the chi-square test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Numbness of the abdominal wall was reported more frequently by the donor with M.B.s and right subcostal incisions up to xiphoid incisions. In terms of appearance, sensation, and daily activities, LDH with a U.M. was found to have a good self-assessment compared with that performed using other types of incisions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LDH with a U.M. is a preferable procedure in terms of physical status and safety.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soyama
authors.forename: Mitsuhisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takatsuki
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Muraoka
authors.forename: Takanobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Ayaka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Tamotsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuroki
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eguchi
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate
keywords: body image; living donor liver transplantation; questionnaire; self-assessment; upper midline incision