Returning to work after liver transplant: experiencing the roadblocks

Abstract

Liver transplant has been the treatment of choice for people with end-stage liver disease since the mid-1980s. The theme of returning to work after liver transplantation emerged from the data of a phenomenological study examining the lived experience of people with liver transplants. Thirteen liver recipients were interviewed using a semistructured approach. Only one of the first nine participants was able to return to work after the transplant; therefore, the last four participants were purposely chosen because they had been able to return to work. The possibility of losing health insurance benefits and disability benefits prevented many participants from working. Those able to return to work had professional careers that afforded them flexibility in their work schedule. Some implications for health professionals lie in the area of healthcare and health insurance policy change. Avenues for health insurance reform could be explored in an effort to empower the transplant recipient.