Postoperative Psychiatric Complications in Living Liver Donors

[Clark]

http://www.transplantation-proceedings.org/article/S0041-1345(15)00622-3/abstract

Postoperative Psychiatric Complications in Living Liver Donors

H. Kimura, Y. Onishi, S. Sunada, S. Kishi, N. Suzuki, C. Tsuboi, N. Yamaguchi, H. Imai, H. Kamei, H. Fujisiro, T. Okada, M. Ishigami, Y. Ogura, T. Kiuchi, N. Ozaki

Transplantation Proceedings July–August, 2015Volume 47, Issue 6, Pages 1860–1865


DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.transproceed.2015.06.021

Highlights

      •We studied long-term data on postoperative psychiatric complications in living liver donors.
      •A total of 6 (4.2%) donors developed psychiatric complications after transplantation.
      •All subjects showed improvement in Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale.
      •It is important to provide long-term treatment in close coordination with transplant surgeons.

Abstract
Background
To understand the impact of psychologic variables on donor quality of life, we studied long-term data on postoperative psychiatric complications in living liver donors. This study is a focused psychological investigation of diagnoses, treatments, and long-term clinical courses of living liver donors with psychiatric complications.
Methods
Of the 142 donors who underwent live-donor liver transplantation at Nagoya University Hospital between April 2004 and July 2014, we investigated those without a history of mental illness who had developed such illness after transplantation and required psychiatric treatment.
Results
A total of 6 (4.2%) donors developed the following psychiatric complications after transplantation: major depressive disorder (n = 2), panic disorder (n = 2), conversion disorder (n = 1), and substance use disorder (n = 1). Concerning psychiatric treatment, all donors received antianxiety drugs, 3 took antidepressants, and supportive psychiatric therapy was concomitantly provided to all subjects. The average treatment period was 53.3 months. Regarding subject outcomes, 3 donors achieved remission, and the other 3 continued treatment. All subjects showed improvement in Global Assessment of Functioning Scale.
Conclusion
It is important to accurately diagnose postoperative psychiatric complications and provide long-term treatment in close coordination with transplant surgeons.