Quality of Life According to Urgency Status in De Novo Heart Transplant Recipients

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings Vol. 48; no. 9; pp. 3024 - 3026
• Main Authors: Díaz-Molina, B, Lambert, J.L, Vílchez, F.G, Cadenas, F, Bernardo, M.J, Velasco, E, Martín, M, Morís, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-11-2016
• Subjects: Adult; Chronic Disease; Cohort Studies; Elective Surgical Procedures - psychology; Emergency Treatment; Female; Heart Failure - psychology; Heart Failure - surgery; Heart Transplantation - psychology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Quality of Life; Reoperation; Risk Factors; Surgery; Surveys and Questionnaires; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2016.09.011

Abstract Introduction Elective heart transplantation (HTX) aims to improve physical ability, increase survival, and improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with chronic heart failure. Nevertheless, most patients who undergo urgent HTX are previously healthy, and a transplant could be perceived as a limitation. The aim of this study is to compare HRQoL between elective and urgent heart transplant recipients. Methods Cohort study including patients undergoing heart transplantation between January 1998 and March 2012 in a single center. Patients with retransplantation or multiorgan transplantation were excluded. Clinical variables including comorbidities were collected. For assessment of HRQoL, the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) was completed by the survivors on March 2013. Univariate analysis (Mann-Whitney U test) was performed. Results Questionnaires were collected from 95 of 106 elective recipients and 28 of 33 urgent recipients. Urgent heart recipients were younger, with more cardiovascular risk factors, and ischemic etiology was the leading cause of transplant. All domain results were higher in elective heart transplant recipients, but after univariate analysis only the punctuation of the self-efficacy domain remained superior in the elective HTX group (87.5 vs 79.7, P  = .034). Conclusion Both urgent and elective heart transplant patients reported a good HRQoL, and there were no significant differences between their scores.