Abstract
【Objective】 The purpose of this study is to identify the factors involved in low back pain (LBP) that interfere with rehabilitation after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).
【Design】 Retrospective study.
【Methods】 We recruited 34 patients who underwent LDLT between January 2016 and March 2018, at The University of Tokyo Hospital. From postoperative Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay to 1 month after release from the hospital, we examined the presence or absence of LBP, investigated its relationship with the patients’ backgrounds and postoperative factors, and studied the cause of LBP by postoperative period.
【Results】 Thirteen patients (38.2% of the whole) developed LBP. They had higher weight gain rates and maximum Body Mass Indexes (BMI). The mechanical ventilator extubation date and the starting point of postoperative mobility were also longer in these patients. During the postoperative ICU stay, these patients had difficulty in changing their posture on the bed and struggled with the softness of the mattress, lending to the development of LBP. Furthermore, motions and postures that strained the lower back were linked to higher risk of LBP during the post ICU period.
【Conclusion】 In LDLT, it is necessary to take appropriate management for LBP from the early postoperative stage to after discharge.
