Quality of Life Following Liver Transplantation in Patients With Familial Amyloid Neuropathy

Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the change in quality of life 12 months following liver transplantation in patients with Familial Amyloid Polyneuropathy (FAP). Method: In this study 150 transplant candidates, attending the outpatient clinic of a Liver Transplantation Centre in Lisbon, were assessed between March 1, 2006 and December 1, 2007. From these, 84 were transplanted, and 62 finished the study; 20 with FAP and 42 with Liver Disease (LD). These patients were assessed before, and 12 months after, transplantation. The patients that remained waiting for transplantation originated the control group. First, transplanted (study group) and non-transplanted (control group) patients were compared regardless of their diagnosis, and then only FAP patients were compared between both groups. Results: 12 months after transplantation the score on the Quality of Life’s Physical and Mental Component of the SF-36 was significantly higher in transplanted versus non-transplanted patients (concerning the whole group FAP and LD patients). However, significant differences were only found for the Quality of Life’s Physical Component subscale between both FAP groups (study and control group). Conclusion: In sum, liver transplantation does not have a significant impact in FAP patients’ Mental Quality of Life score. One possible reason to this is the fail in acquiring adaptive coping strategies after transplantation.