Biopsychosocial functioning among cirrhotic patients in various stages of transplant process in comparison to liver transplant recipients

Background: Although assessment of pre- and post-transplant quality of life is a current scientific target; it has not yet been carried out throughout the entire transplant process. Aims: 1) To analyze differences in mental health and quality of life at pre-waiting-list-study, waiting-list, and post-transplant phases; 2) to analyze correlation between these quality- of-life and affective variables and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores. Methods: Two liver patient groups were recruited: 51 cir- rhotic patients, who were assessed at two different stages (at pre-waiting- list-study and waiting-list phases), and 51 cadaveric liver transplant recipi- ents; groups were homogeneous in gender and age variables by matching. Anxiety-depressive symptomatology and quality of life were assessed by HADS and SF-36 Health Survey, respectively. Results: Pre-waiting-list-study patients self-perceived their global health status much worse than trans- plant recipients. Waiting-list patients displayed much higher anxiety, more role limitations due to physical problems, worse physical functioning, as well as perceiving their global health status much worse than transplant re- cipients. Statistically significant correlations were only found in waiting-list patients between MELD-Anxiety and MELD-Social Functioning sub- scales. Conclusions: Waiting-list patients displayed the worst biopsychosocial well-being status; liver transplant recipients enjoyed the best status instead.