Quality of life in diabetic patients after combined pancreas-kidney or kidney transplantation.

The quality of life was compared between 14 combined pancreas-kidney-transplant patients (group 1) and 16 diabetic kidney-transplant patients (group 2). Minimum follow-up was 2 yr with functioning grafts. Two-thirds of both groups' patients were working, but 90% in group 1 and 50% in group 2 had full-time occupations. Also 7% in group 1 and 43% in group 2 had to modify their activity posttransplantation. The amount of lost workdays was calculated during periods of 2 yr pre- and posttransplantation: the figure decreased by 44% in group 1 (from 278 to 155) and was unchanged in group 2 (from 211 to 213). The number of sickness pensions paid increased from 28% of the patients pretransplantation to 42% in October 1987 in group 1 and from 20 to 62% in group 2. Over the last 2 yr, an average of 12 days of hospitalization were necessitated in group 1 compared to 25 days in group 2. When physical activity was evaluated, both groups judged their present state of health as good or very good (group 1, 78%; group 2, 73%). In group 1, 80% claimed they had recovered the same or better quality of life as they had before renal failure, compared to 50% in group 2. The investigation showed that group 1 seemed to achieve a better quality of life than group 2; all combined pancreas-kidney-transplant patients returned to a normal diet and achieved a less restricted life-style.