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Comparative Study
. 2017 Jul 21;15(1):147.
doi: 10.1186/s12955-017-0723-8.

Primary liver transplantation and liver retransplantation: comparison of health-related quality of life and mental status - a cross-sectional study

Johannes Broschewitz  1 , Georg Wiltberger  1 , Nicco Krezdorn  2 , Felix Krenzien  3 , Julia Förster  1 , Georgi Atanasov  3 , Hans-Michael Hau  1 , Moritz Schmelzle  3 , Andreas Hinz  4 , Michael Bartels  1 , Christian Benzing  5
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Primary liver transplantation and liver retransplantation: comparison of health-related quality of life and mental status - a cross-sectional study

Johannes Broschewitz et al. Health Qual Life Outcomes. .

Abstract

Background: Liver Retransplantation (Re-LT) procedures are associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Up to date, there is no knowledge on the health-related quality of life and the mental status of these patients.

Methods: Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) was assessed by using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey and Mental Status was assessed by using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The patients were examined in different assessments: During regular check-up examinations in the LT outpatient department in 2011 (Survey 1) and in a postal survey in 2013 (Survey 2). Their medical data was collected by using an established database.

Results: We received eligible surveys of 383 patients (55.6%) with a history of LT, of which 15 (3.9%) had undergone Re-LT (Re-LT group). These patients were compared to a group of 60 patients who had undergone only one LT. With regard to their HRQoL, the Re-LT group had significantly lower scores on the scales of physical function (PF, p = 0.026), their role-physical (RP, p = 0.008), their vitality (VIT, p = 0.040), and their role-emotional (RE, p = 0.005). The scores for anxiety and depression did not differ significantly between the groups. In a multiple regression analysis, chronic kidney disease was found to be an independent risk factor for decreased scores of PF (p = 0.023).

Conclusions: Patients who have to undergo Re-LT procedures are faceing impairments in physical aspects of a HRQoL. Together with clinical results from other studies, the findings of the present examination underline the need for an optimized organ distribution strategy since not all patients listed for Re-LT appear to benefit from it.

Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Hads; Health-related quality of life; Liver retransplantation; SF-36.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors information

Not applicable.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Leipzig (ID: 414–12-17,122,012).

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
SF-36 (a) and HADS (b) of the patient group that was interviewed both in 2011 and 2013 (n = 33). PF = physical functioning, RP = role-physical, BP = bodily pain, GH = general health perceptions, VIT = Vitality, SF = social functioning, RE = role-emotional, MH = mental health, PCS = physical component summary, MCS = mental component summary
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
SF-36 results of both groups. Re-LT = Liver Retransplantation group, LT = Liver Transplantation group. PF = physical functioning, RP = role-physical, BP = bodily pain, GH = general health perceptions, VIT = Vitality, SF = social functioning, RE = role-emotional, MH = mental health, PCS = physical component summary, MCS = mental component summary. * Statistically significant
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
HADS results for both groups. Re-LT = Liver Retransplantation group, LT = Liver Transplantation group. * Statistically significant
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