Can renal transplant improve the quality of life of caregiver donors? A prospective study from India

Live-related renal transplantation in India by "caregiver donors" provides huge financial, emotional, and physical support. Their psychological and mental health has not been addressed. We performed a prospective study using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL) BREF Scores and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales preoperatively, at two weeks and three months after transplant. We included 30 pairs; most donors were females (80%, 60% mothers, 28% wives). The mean age of donors was 43.77 ± 10.64 years (34.8 ± 9.01 for recipients). There was improvement in the WHOQoL BREF after two weeks and three months as follows: physical domain (74.30 ± 9.74 vs. 78.30 ± 8.20; P = 0.001), and (74.30 ± 9.74 vs. 86.23 ± 7.25; P <0.001); psychological (74.90 ± 8.44 vs. 82.07 ± 7.19; P <0.001) and (74.90 ± 8.44 vs. 88.07 ± 6.89; P <0.001); environmental (75.33 ± 8.09 vs. 79.57 ± 6.18; P <0.001), and, (75.33 ± 8.09 vs. 86.97 ± 3.8; P <0.001); social-relationships (77.73 ± 8.28 vs. 79.77 ± 7.99; P <0.001), and (77.73 ± 8.28 vs. 84.77 ± 7.45; P <0.001). The recipient scores were similar. Factors with significant Pearson's or standardized beta co-efficient were donor age <20 years, donor complications, donor anxiety, education (<12th standard), recipient hospital stay (>3 weeks), and, recipient complications (increased creatinine, hemodialysis, lymphocele, and graft dysfunction). The median anxiety scores of donors increased significantly two weeks after operation but later became normal. Caregiver donors have improved QoL scores, despite kidney donation; a larger study is needed.