Study Group Leaders: Gokhan Kabacam
Nazia Selzner
Shortage of deceased organ donage in middle eastern and eastern countries due to cultural and religious reasons makes the LDLT an essential option in those areas.1 Even though in the last years there are various studies about the short-term (defined as up to 1 year) medical and pyschosocial complications of living liver donors, extensive data about the long-term postdonation period of living liver donors are still lacking. 2
The recent published study of Jin Chong Yoi et al was the most extensive nationwide study regarding LDLT long term complications. The LLD group had approximately twice the all-cause mortality and 4-fold the incidence of liver failure than the matched healthy individuals.
The most common cause of death in the LLD group was an external cause at 53.9% which are described as self-harm or traffic accidents. Depression which is strongly associated with suicide was a risk factor for LLD mortality, especially in females depression was strongly associated with mortality. 3 This is consistent with another worldwide study which reported that suicide was the most common cause of death in LLDs (36%). 4 Studies assesing the psychosocial problems were usually done retrospectively without analysing the psychosocial condition of the patient before and after transplantation with validated scales assesing depression, anxiety and suicidial thoughts. Beck Depression Inventory II and Beck Anxiety Inventory have demonstrated sufficient reliability and validity in assesing psychiatric conditions.5,6
Aim of this prospective study is to assess psychosocial outcomes of living liver donors and their relationship with post – donation course.
