REVIEW  LIVER TRANSPLANTATION: INDICATIONS AND OUTCOMES 

Minerva Gastroenterologica e Dietologica 2018 June;64(2):180-6

DOI: 10.23736/S1121-421X.17.02459-X

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Quality of life and adherence in liver transplant recipients

Patrizia BURRA ¹ ✉, Alberto FERRARESE ¹, Giuseppe FELTRIN ²

¹ Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Padua University Hospital, Padua, Italy; ² Regional Transplant Center, Padua, Italy

The assessment of quality of life (QoL) after transplantation represents an ancillary tool to evaluate the efficacy of solid organ transplantation, in addition to graft and patient survival rates and complication. The global assessment of QoL after transplantation usually confirms the improvement when compared to pre-transplant setting. However, whereas significant improvement in physical activity has been widely reported, several studies have demonstrated that social domain and cognitive function do not reach the level of general population after surgery. Post-transplant adherence depends on several factors, including patient personality, level of education, understanding of disease, complexity of medical prescriptions, family support. The evaluation of post-transplant adherence includes adherence to medical prescriptions, in particular to immunosuppressive regimens. QoL and adherence represent crucial issues in the long-term management of liver transplant recipients. Therefore, the transplant professionals should be able to identify risk factors of poor adherence and limited quality of life, in adult and pediatric liver transplant recipients.

KEY WORDS: Liver transplantation - Immune Adherence Reaction - Quality of life