Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 1, 2025
Digital Home-Monitoring of Patients after Kidney Transplantation: The MACCS Platform
Published on: April 12, 2021
[Lived Experience of Kidney Transplant Recipients with Kidney Graft Failure]
Younghui Hwang1, Kyoungok Min2, Haeng-Mi Son3
1Department of Nursing Science, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea.
Purpose:
The study aimed to understand the semantic structure and nature of the disease experience of kidney transplant recipients with kidney graft failure by applying phenomenological research methods.
Methods:
Data were collected between February and September 2021 through individual in-depth interviews with 12 kidney transplant recipients with kidney graft failure. Colaizzi's phenomenological analysis was used to analyze the meaning of the participants' illness experiences.
Results:
5 theme clusters and 15 themes were derived. The five theme clusters are as follows: (1) First transplant giving me a second life; (2) Body and mind becoming sick again; (3) Waiting for a re-transplant with hope and worry; (4) Life supported by gratefulness; (5) Having control over my own life.
Conclusion:
This study shows that kidney transplant recipients with kidney graft failure experience physical and psychological difficulties during the long disease period and require help from many people, including family members, friends, colleagues, and health care providers, to overcome their difficulties.
