Quality of life of kidney transplant recipients

Mariola Wójcicka, Izabela Korabiewska, Jan Tylka

Mariola Wójcicka, Izabela Korabiewska, Jan Tylka – Quality of life of kidney transplant recipients. Fizjoterapia Polska 2007; 7(4); 409-418

Abstract
Background. Kidney transplantation is an acknownledged method of treatment of end-stage failure. Rehabilitation of kidney transplant aims to restore physical and mental fitness. This study set out to assess the relationship between kidney transplantation and quality of life and the relationship between participation in a rehabilitation programme and quality of life after kidney transplantation. Material and methods. The study involved 67 patients aged 17-73 years (x = 47.5 years) who were divided into a rehabilitated and control group. The quality of life was evaluated with the SF-36 questionnaire, which the patients completed twice to reflect their situation prior to transplantation (period of dialysis therapy) and one year after transplantation. Results. 1. Quality of life after transplantation was regarded as higher compared to the evaluation prior to the transplantation (p<0.05 for all scores) by the entrie patient population, by the rehabilitated group and the control group taken separately. 2. More positive changes were noted in the rehabilitated group. 3. A comparison of the results obtained in individual patients before and after the transplantation showed that: 25% of the patients reported no improvement in Global Quality of Life, including 15% reporting a worsening of Global QoL- almost 38% of the patients did not experience improvement in the general physical health domain- 27.6% did not experience positive changes in the general mental health domainConclusions. Kidney transplantation and participation in the rehabilitation programme positively influenced the patients’ subjective evaluation of the quality of life. About 1/3 of the kidney transplant recipients did not note any improvement in functioning.
Key words:
quality of life, rehabilitation, kidney transplantation
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