Longitudinal study of liver transplant recipients' quality of life as a function of their perception of general health: at waiting list and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-transplantation.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the evolution (at waiting list, and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-transplantation) of quality of life of cadaveric liver transplant recipients as a function of their perception of general health.

Methods: Two groups (15 patients with better and 15 with worse self-perception of health 1 year after transplantation) were assessed at the pretransplantation and post-transplantation phases using the EuroQol (EQ-5D) questionnaire. Mixed analysis of covariance was performed with 2 factors: phase (at waiting list and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-transplantation) and perception of general health (better and worse). Cohen's d was also calculated.

Results: Interactive effects were found in the variables pain/discomfort (P = .010) and anxiety/depression (P = .001). The following simple effects reached large effect sizes. Transplant recipients presented more pain/discomfort when on the waiting list than at 3 months (worse self-perception, P = .022, d = 1.35; better self-perception, P = .001, d = 0.95). At 6 months (P = .001, d = -1.45) and at 12 months (P = .001, d = -1.75), transplant recipients with worse self-perception displayed more pain/discomfort. Transplant recipients with better self-perceived health showed more anxiety/depression when on the waiting list than at 3 months (P = .004, d = 1.49), at 6 months (P = .005, d = 1.48), and at 12 months (P = .001, d = 1.97). Patients with worse self-perception presented more anxiety/depression when on the waiting list than at 6 months (P = .030, d = 1.21) and 12 months compared with at 3 months (P = .011, d = -0.97) and 6 months (P = .001, d = -1.39). At 12 months, transplant recipients with worse self-perception showed more anxiety/depression (P = .001, d = -2.18).

Conclusions: Pain/discomfort and, especially, anxiety/depression contribute to liver transplant recipients' worse general health status 1 year after transplantation.