Patients' expectations from renal grafting and transplantation outcome

Prevailing reports on psychological prediction of renal graft integration are rare, mostly based on case studies. Focusing on patients' expectations from the transplantation process before grafting, we investigate the influence of psychological data and statements on the final transplantation results. In the whole group (n = 83) the attitude toward transplantation was very optimistic. Comparing the features of patients with successful graft outcome (n = 23) and graft failure or patient's death (n = 10) the latter group shows: lower scale values of optimistic attitude toward transplantation outcome, higher level of fear concerning surgical treatment, less willingness to agree preoperatively to second transplantation in case of first graft failure. Psychological data indicate a greater tendency toward more submissive, rigid, and depressive behavior. It is assumed that the patient's attitude and expectation on grafting is a part of the conditions influencing the final transplantation result. Further studies should prove this concept.