Donating a piece of your liver to another is extremely generous, but new research in the journal Transplantation shows it may have long-term adverse effects for the donor.
To understand the physical, emotional and socioeconomic effects of liver donation, the study authors administered a survey to more than 500 people who had donated between three and 10 years prior to the survey.
The survey results revealed:
1. Between 15 percent and 48 percent of the donors reported donation-related physical health problems and concerns, such as hernias, digestive issues, chronic diarrhea and problems associated with scar tissue.
2. Between 7 percent and 60 percent reported socioeconomic concerns, including difficulties with their insurance and financial expenditures.
3. Despite some of the negative outcomes, roughly 90 percent of the donors felt positively about the donation and said they stand by their decision.
Study leader Mary Amanda Dew, PhD, told Reuters Health the reason for many donors' optimism is there is a psychological benefit in knowing you did everything you could to save a life.
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