Psychological Aspects of Living Kidney Donation in Poland: Experience of One Center

Background

Living kidney transplantation is the optimal treatment of end-stage renal disease. The benefits for recipients are obvious. The psychological consequences for living kidney donors in Poland are not known.

Objective

The objective of the study was to evaluate the psychological aspects of living kidney donation in Poland.

Patients and methods

A total of 66 living donor open nephrectomies were performed in our institution between 1995 and 2005. The psychological aspects were assessed in 40 donors after nephrectomy. The study applied the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), the Situation Assessment Questionnaire, the Health Behaviors Survey, and our own questionnaire. The mean observation period was 65.6 months.

Results

There was a trend toward better life satisfaction in living kidney donors compared to Polish adults. Donor life satisfaction was significantly lower when the recipient was dead than when the recipient was alive. Most donors perceived the kidney donation as a challenge in cognitive judgment. The mean score of the Health Behaviors Survey was not significantly different than in the general population in Poland. The mean pain score after donation was 3.2 in a 5-item scale (1 = severe pain, 5 = mild pain). The mean time of return to work was 3.5 months. No donors regretted their decisions about kidney donation.

Conclusion

Living kidney donation in Poland has a positive impact on donors' quality of life. Among living kidney donors, the sense of danger concerning the risk of donation depends on the degree of the relationship with the recipient.