Assessment of sexual function and conjugal satisfaction prior to and after liver transplantation

The aims of this study were to assess sexual function and conjugal satisfaction in patients prior to and after liver transplantation, and in comparison to healthy individuals.

A cross-sectional cohort questionnaire assessment was performed in adult liver recipients, including the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) for men or the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) for women. Conjugal satisfaction was assessed with the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test. Waitlist candidates and age-matched healthy individuals were used as controls.

Questionnaires of 136 patients were assessed (45 women/91 men, mean age: 57 ± 11 years). Overall, sexual function improved after transplantation (male: p=0.065 and female: p=0.072), but remained lower than in aged-matched healthy individuals. The post-transplant level of conjugal satisfaction was stable and similar to healthy controls in men, but improved significantly in women (p=0.008), with higher levels than in healthy subjects (p=0.05).

The present study shows that sexual function improves after transplantation, yet not to the level of healthy controls. It also demonstrates, for the first time, that post-transplant conjugal satisfaction is at least similar to the one of healthy controls.