Changes in health-related quality of life in Greek adult patients 1 year after successful renal transplantation

Abstract

Objectives: This study was undertaken to compare and to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Greek adult transplant recipients before and 1 year after successful renal transplantation (RT) and to examine which parameters had the greatest effects on their HRQOL. The SF-36 survey score was used.

Materials and methods: Eighty-five Greek hemodialysis patients underwent RT at the Transplant Unit of Evangelismos General Hospital of Athens, including 44 men and 41 women (mean age, 43.8 years; range, 21-59 years). Thirty-nine patients had received a kidney from a living-related donor, and 46 from a cadaver. The scale scores of a Greek version of the SF-36 survey were compared between the transplant and the hemodialysis patients. We also examined the relationships of the scale scores with the patients' age and the type of donor.

Results: According to the SF-36 health survey, transplant recipients had better results for general health perception (P <or= .001), role-physical functioning (P <or= .01), role-emotional functioning (P <or= .01), and vitality (P < or=.01). In addition, the scale scores of physical functioning, general health, and vitality of the patients who were younger than 30 years old at the time of transplantation were significantly higher than those of the patients who were older than 30 years, while the scores of bodily pain, general health, and physical functioning were significantly lower in cadaveric graft recipients compared with living-related graft recipients.

Conclusions: The SF-36 health survey is a validated and comprehensive instrument for evaluating renal transplant patients' HRQOL. Our data demonstrate an improvement in HRQOL in renal transplant patients from before to 1 year after successful RT. The data also confirm that the recipients' age at transplantation and the type of donor were important factors affecting the HRQOL.