Quality of Life Following a Liver Transplant

 

Factors which may impact the patient's quality of life after the transplant:

(1) improvement in hepatic function, with reversal of pretransplant signs and symptoms

(2) persistence of neurologic symptoms

(3) severity of the liver disease and disability prior to the transplant

(4) severity of comorbid conditions (renal disease, diabetes, etc) after the transplant

(5) reason for hepatic failure (patients with viral hepatitis C may have a greater impairment in quality of life, especially if the infection recurs)

(6) level of psychological distress after the transplant

(7) negative effects associated with post-transplant medications

(8) presence of rejection