Qualidade de vida em pacientes submetidos ao transplante hepático

Abstract

The liver, the largest metabolic organ in the human body, is responsible for numerous functions. Problems in its functioning can cause diseases that compromise the quality of life or even hinder its continuity. Based on medical criteria, patients diagnosed with terminal stage can be considered candidates for liver transplantation in order to obtain quality of life. Objective: To evaluate the quality of life of patients undergoing liver transplantation. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study with 30 patients who were followed for at least 3 months with the Liver Transplantation team at the São José do Rio Preto Base Hospital. The following instruments were used: identification form adapted from the psychological evaluation protocol for liver transplantation and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Inventory, the Whoqol-Bref. Results: Mean results for each domain evaluated with the participants (n = 30) were: physical domain: 60,12%, psychological domain: 68,19%, domain social relation: 78,89%, domain environment: 74,48% and total quality of life score: 70,48%. Thus, transplanted patients were able to return to their instrumental activities of daily living. Final Considerations: Assessing the quality of life in transplant patients brings public health benefits in the sense of finding problems and increasing the effectiveness of their planning and decision making. It is seen that a patient can change from a condition with low life expectancy and evolve to a quality condition of life.