Health-related quality of life outcomes after living donor hepatectomy: A brief review

Background: The living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) surgery exposes the healthy donors to the risks associated with a major surgical procedure. The impact that this surgery has on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of a donor is an important aspect of outcome. Emerging LDLT centers need to be cognizant of the impact of this major procedure on the donor’s quality of life (QOL). The aim of this review is to summarize the current literature on this aspect of LDLT outcomes. Methods: Pubmed search was performed and relevant articles were retrieved Results: The physical domains of the QOL were significantly worse within first 3 months after surgery but return to baseline at 6 months in the majority of patients. The factors that have consistently been reported to impact the donor QOL include donor age, occurrence of prolonged post-operative complications in the donors, unfavorable recipient outcomes and donation decision made prior to informed consent. The type of allograft does not significantly affect the donor QOL. Despite some degree of financial strain a majority of donors perceived donation as a positive experience with no regrets. Conclusion: Overall the benefits to the LDLT recipients outweigh the risks to the donors. The post donation care for certain.ps of donors at increased risk of poor QOL should continue for years.