Quality of life assessment in a living donor kidney transplantation program: evaluation of recipients and donors.

BACKGROUND

Quality of life (QOL) in donors before and after living kidney donor transplantation (LKDT) has been an important concern. Investigation of these issues in related recipients is not as common. Since 2002, a protocol of psychosocial evaluation for donors and recipients was included in the living kidney donation program. We sought to evaluate QOL in donors and recipients, before and after transplantation, and to compare the 2 groups.

METHODS

Before and after transplantation, 35 recipients and 45 donors completed a Sociodemographic Questionnaire and Short-Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36). The Wilcoxon test, Mann-Whitney test, and logistic regression were applied.

RESULTS

Before transplantation, recipients had lower QOL values than donors for all dimensions (P < .05), with the exception of Mental Health. After transplantation, they had higher values (P < .05) for every dimension on the SF-36. Among donors, there were no significant changes. Physical function and social function were considered poorer by donors versus recipients (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

In this LKDT program, more females were donors and fewer were recipients. Most of donors were siblings. All donors were related (the Portuguese law pertaining to unrelated donation was enacted in 2007). QOL was significantly poorer among recipients before surgery. After surgery, QOL significantly improved in recipients and was not poorer in donors. LKDT improved recipients' lives and did not affect donors' negatively.