Psychosocial aspects of pediatric living donor liver transplantation

Abstract

While the medical aspects of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) have been investigated to a comparatively large degree, only in recent years have psychosocial aspects like donors' quality of life and attitude towards living donation been dealt with. In the course of a retrospective study, we examined 36 pediatric living liver donors at an average of 4.5 +/- 2.8 years postoperatively. The donation's impact on the family was considered "very high," "high," or "average" by 48% of the donors. The physical impact of the donation was regarded as being higher than the emotional impact. Subjective full recovery was achieved at an average of 4.5 months postoperatively. All patients stated that they would donate again. Donors' quality of life, as assessed with the 36-Item Short-Form Quality of Life Questionnaire (SF-36), was significantly higher than the German normative sample. Anxiety and depression, assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-German version, were significantly lower compared to healthy controls. However, 14 patients (39%) described persistent, mostly physical, symptoms more than 1 yr postoperatively. In conclusion, the study's findings may enable clinicians to achieve a better understanding of living donors' situations, both pre- and postoperatively, and may help to assess the psychosocial risk of LDLT. Knowledge of possible ongoing problems may facilitate intervention at an early stage and should be included among the information given to potential living liver donors. Prospective studies using more specific instruments with an emphasis on the long-term psychosocial outcome of LDLT are needed for future research.