Background: The impact on quality of life (QOL) and safety has increasingly been an important consideration for living donors after kidney transplantation. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the QOL of living kidney donors and to indentify factors for impediment of their QOL.
Methods: The subjects of this study were 69 living kidney donors with whom transplantations were performed in our center from 1990 to 2010. The data was collected from May to July 2010 using donor characteristics and SF-36.
Results: The donors were predominantly female (60.9%) and the average age was 45.4±12.0 years. The total numbers of donors, categorized by their relationship to the recipients, included 20 siblings (29.0%), 17 parents (24.6%) and 13 spouses (18.8%). The measured characteristics as related to donation included the full return to normal pre-donation activities (72.5%), no visit to a hospital or pharmacy after donation (69.6%) and donation decision as propria persona (97.1%). Most donors were satisfied with their donation (92.8%) and had no regrets for making the donation (87.0%). The average score for QOL of all subjects was 71.89. The overall QOL of living kidney donors revealed lower scores (48.56±5.45) as compared to average scores (50) of the healthy population in the USA. In particular, the scores for PCS (52.87) on the SF-36 were higher than the scores for MCS (44.25).
Conclusions: Most living kidney donors were satisfied with their donation and showed good physical recoveries despite a lower QOL. Consequently, carefully pre-transplantation psychological assessment and programs are necessary to support donors. Systematic and continuous management after transplantation, as well as preoperatively appropriate information and counsel, is needed for kidney donors.

Keywords: QOL, Kidney transplantation, Living donor