Recovery after lung transplantation from a patient perspective - proposing a new framework

The aims of this study were two-fold: to develop the concept analysis by Allvin et al. from lung recipients' perspective of their post-transplant recovery process and to identify the recovery trajectories including critical junctions in the post-transplant recovery process after lung transplantation.

Lung transplantation is an established treatment for patients with end-stage lung disease. The recovery process after lung transplantation is very demanding. Today, patients are expected to play an active role in their own recovery but require ongoing support during the process.

A deductive, retrospective interview study using directed content analysis and Allvin's recovery concept analysis.

Fifteen adult lung transplant recipients who were due their 12-month follow-up were consecutively included and interviewed during 2015. Patients who were medically unstable or had difficulties speaking Swedish were excluded from this multi-centre study.

Allvin's concept analysis is partly applicable to the context of lung transplantation. The recipients' experience of the post-transplant recovery process could be confirmed in the main dimensions of the concept analysis, while several sub-dimensions were contradictory and were excluded. Six new sub-dimensions emerged; symptom management, adjusting to physical restraints, achieving an optimum level of psychological well-being, emotional transition, social adaptation and reconstructing daily occupation.

The concept analysis by Allvin et al. was possible to expand to fit the lung transplantation context and a new contextual definition of post-transplant recovery after solid organ transplantation was developed. Recovery and health were viewed as two different things.