Health‐related quality of life and psychological indicators of thriving 15–19 years after heart or lung transplantation

Background Survival into the second decade after cardiothoracic transplantation (CTX) is no longer uncommon. Few data exist on any health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) impairments survivors face, or whether they may even experience positive psychological outcomes indicative of “thriving” (e.g., personal growth). We provide such data in a long‐term survivor cohort. Methods Among 304 patients prospectively studied across the first 2 years post‐CTX, we re‐interviewed patients ≥15 years post‐CTX. We (a) examined levels of HRQOL and positive psychological outcomes (posttraumatic growth related to CTX, purpose in life, life satisfaction) at follow‐up, (b) evaluated change since transplant with mixed‐effects models, and (c) identified psychosocial and clinical correlates of study outcomes with multivariable regression. Results Of 77 survivors, 64 (83%) were assessed (35 heart, 29 lung recipients; 15–19 years post‐CTX). Physical HRQOL was poorer than the general population norm and earlier post‐transplant levels (P’s