Older Adults' Lived Experience of Kidney Transplantation

The United States is witnessing a rapid increase in kidney transplantation (KTx) among adults aged 65 and older. Despite this demographic shift, older adults' perspectives on KTx remain notably absent from the discourse on transplant policy and practice, and very little research has examined older adults' perceptions and experiences of KTx.

Employing a phenomenological approach, this study explored the lived experiences of 10 KTx recipients aged 65 and older. Fifteen in-depth interviews were conducted, and analyses followed the processes of phenomenological reduction, imaginative variation, and synthesis.

Participants reported experiencing an initial disruption of their sense of embodied identity that ranged from mildly unsettling to deeply distressing. However, they described navigating this "liminal" period and eventually incorporating the donor kidney into their sense of embodied self. Notably, most participants viewed their older age as protective and reported that their lived experience over time enabled them to cope more effectively with the challenges they faced during the posttransplant recovery and adaptation period.

Findings from this study can inform more equitable and age-responsive KTx policy, research and clinical practice and may be extended beyond KTx to other forms of solid organ transplantation, vascularized composite allotransplantation, and innovative bioengineered organs.