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Health-related quality of life after liver transplantation: the experience from a single Chinese center |
Gen-Shu Wang, Yang Yang, Hua Li, Nan Jiang, Bin-Sheng Fu, Hai Jin, Jian-Xu Yang and Gui-Hua Chen |
Guangzhou, China
Author Affiliations: Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplant Center, Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China (Wang GS, Yang Y, Li H, Jiang N, Fu BS, Jin H, Yang JX and Chen GH)
Corresponding Author: Gui-Hua Chen, MD, Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplant Center, Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 600 Tianhe Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510630, China (Tel/Fax: 86-20-85252276; Email: chgh1955@263.net) |
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Abstract BACKGROUND: Few studies have been performed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in liver transplantation (LT) patients in the mainland of China. This study aimed to investigate the HRQOL of post-LT patients in a single center.
METHODS: HRQOL was evaluated by the SF-36 (Chinese version) questionnaire in 60 patients (LT group) who had received LT for benign end-stage liver disease (BELD). Fifty-five patients with BELD (BELD group) and 50 healthy volunteers from the general population (GP group) were also evaluated, and the results were compared among the three groups.
RESULTS: There was a significant difference among the three groups in terms of the scores of eight domains in the SF-36 (P<0.01). Patients in the BELD group had lower scores in each domain of the SF-36 in comparison with those in the GP group (P<0.025). The LT group had mental health scores equivalent to those of the BELD group (P>0.025), but higher scores for the remaining seven domains (P<0.025). Compared with the GP group, the LT group scored equivalently for role physical, body pain, vitality, social function and role emotion (P>0.025), but had lower scores for the remaining three domains (P<0.025). Lower family income was found to be associated with reduced physical function and mental health scores (P<0.05). Better education was associated with increased mental health scores (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: LT patients generally have a good HRQOL although some respects of their HRQOL remains to be improved. Lower family income and poor education are important factors relating to the poor HRQOL of LT patients.
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