Longitudinal Study on Quality of Life in Liver Transplant Recipients

Background: Liver transplantation is an accepted and successful therapy for end-stage liver diseases. Medical staff sought to estimate the long-term results after transplantation operations. Objectives: This study aimed to describe the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in liver transplant recipients for long-time care. Methods: Data were collected using Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36) for self-reported HRQoL variables. Liver transplant recipients were contacted and asked to answer the questionnaire at three stages in 8 years. Results: Compare with a reference general population, the liver transplant recipients showed a significantly worse QoL score on all domains of the SF-36 scales (P<0.05). But the score has improved in following years after operations, especially in mental health domain. Conclusions: Liver transplant recipients demonstrated a process of gradual development in health related quality of life. The longer survivor described their general state of health as fairly satisfactory.