The Experience of the Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease Organ Transplant Recipient Following Liver Transplantation

Cindy Greenberg, Pace University

Abstract

Over the past decade, the rise in alcohol use has escalated, resulting in the increased prevalence of alcohol use disorder. The harmful use of alcohol can contribute to the development of alcoholic hepatitis. There is a high risk of mortality associated with alcoholic hepatitis, which has led to a surge in the number of candidates who present for liver transplantation. Over the last three years, further observation has found that the number of liver transplants due to alcoholic hepatitis has risen even higher ─this can be associated with the increased acceptance of early liver transplantation for patients with alcohol-associated liver disease. Several quantitative studies have been done to support the indication for early liver transplant in alcoholic-associated liver disease patients. However, a limited number of qualitative studies looked at the experience of alcohol-associated liver disease liver transplant recipients, which leaves a gap in what is known. Therefore, a qualitative descriptive study was conducted to explore and describe the experiences of patients who have undergone early liver transplantation due to irreversible liver damage caused by alcoholic-associated liver disease. Roy's Adaptation Model was used as a theoretical framework to view each individual within their complex environment and explore participants' experiences, from being in a state of grave illness to who, what, and where they are following liver transplant surgery. This research explored and described the alcoholic hepatitis liver transplant recipients' experience to gain information and knowledge for nurses and clinicians as a basis for understanding ways to contribute to the promotion of long-term survival when working with this patient population.

Subject Area

Surgery|Health sciences|Mental health|Clinical psychology

Recommended Citation

Greenberg, Cindy, "The Experience of the Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease Organ Transplant Recipient Following Liver Transplantation" (2023). ETD Collection for Pace University. AAI30529196.
https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/dissertations/AAI30529196

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