THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN RENAL TRANSPLANT PATIENTS

—ANALYSIS OF CASES WITH POOR FUNCTIONING GRAFT—

Abstract

We evaluated the quality of life in renal transplant patients with poor functioning graft. Sixty-eight cases with functioning grafts and 44 patients on re-hemodialysis after graft rejection were assessed by medical questionnaires. Seventy-three subjects of total 112 (65.2%) were responded by mail to the survey concerning their quality of life. The responses were that they were totally satisfied with their life.
Furthermore, in the 36 cases receiving re-hemodialysis after graft rejection, the influences of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, and diabetes mellitus were studied on the duration with poor graft function. The graft survival time from the point whose serum creatinine was increased beyond 3.0mg/dl put on re-hemodialysis, was relatively shortened when they have those complications. It seems to be nescessary for the renal transplant patients to avoid such complications to achieve longer graft survival and enjoy higher quality of life, even for the patients with poor functioning graft.