RT Journal
A1 Castaldo ET, Feurer ID, Russell RT, Pinson C
T1 COrrelation of health-related quality of life after liver transplant with the model for end-stage liver disease score
JF Archives of Surgery
JO Archives of Surgery
YR 2009
FD February 1
VO 144
IS 2
SP 167
OP 172
DO 10.1001/archsurg.2008.563
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.2008.563
AB Objective 
    To determine whether a correlation exists between the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after liver transplant (LT).Design 
    Prospective cohort.Setting 
    University hospital.Patients 
    Adult LT recipients (N = 209).Main Outcome Measures 
    Postoperative HRQOL over a 1-year period after LT as measured via multiple regression–based path analysis testing the effects of the MELD score, preoperative variables, and postoperative variables on scores on the physical component summary and mental component summary scales of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey and on composite physical and mental HRQOL scores derived from multiple scales.Results 
    The MELD score (β = .16), cholestatic cirrhosis (β = .12), autoimmune/metabolic disease (β = .18), neoplasm (β = .23), time after LT (β = .16), and the Karnofsky score (β = .49) had significant effects on the physical component summary scale score. Autoimmune/metabolic disease (β = .16) and the Karnofsky score (β = .25) had significant effects on the mental component summary scale score. The MELD score (β = .15), high school education (β = .15), college education (β = .17), autoimmune/metabolic disease (β = .15), neoplasm (β = .23), time after LT (β = .11), and the Karnofsky score (β = .51) had significant effects on the composite physical HRQOL score. Autoimmune/metabolic disease (β = .23), neoplasm (β = .15), and the Karnofsky score (β = .42) had significant effects on the composite mental HRQOL score.Conclusions 
    An increasing MELD score, when computed without any diagnosis-based exception points, was associated with improved physical HRQOL in the first year after LT. The MELD score did not affect mental HRQOL.