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World J Transplant. Dec 24, 2014; 4(4): 267-275
Published online Dec 24, 2014. doi: 10.5500/wjt.v4.i4.267
Psychopathological aspects of kidney transplantation: Efficacy of a multidisciplinary team
Concetta De Pasquale, Massimiliano Veroux, Luisa Indelicato, Nunzia Sinagra, Alessia Giaquinta, Michele Fornaro, Pierfrancesco Veroux, Maria L Pistorio
Concetta De Pasquale, Massimiliano Veroux, Luisa Indelicato, Nunzia Sinagra, Alessia Giaquinta, Pierfrancesco Veroux, Maria L Pistorio, Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Transplantation and Advanced Technologies, University Hospital of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
Michele Fornaro, Department of Formative Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
Author contributions: De Pasquale C, Veroux M, Indelicato L, Sinagra N, Giaquinta A, Fornaro M, Veroux P and Pistorio ML all contributed to this paper.
Correspondence to: Massimiliano Veroux, MD, PhD, Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Transplantation and Advanced Technologies, University Hospital of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 86-95123 Catania, Italy. veroux@unict.it
Telephone: +39-95-3782384 Fax: +39-95-3782948
Received: March 14, 2014
Revised: May 2, 2014
Accepted: May 29, 2014
Published online: December 24, 2014
Processing time: 290 Days and 1 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Kidney transplantation is now an established clinical technique, although the emotional experiences and the psychological and psychopathological complications related to organ donation and transplantation should not be underestimated. Following transplantation, problems related to the physical integration of a foreign body can arise. On the one hand, the “Life-Extending” process creates a kind of symbolic rebirth with euphoric aspects, and on the other hand, the patient can develop a kind of emotional vulnerability with body image and self-representation disorders, or paranoid reactions to a panic crisis due to the presence of a foreign object (transplanted organ). In fact, the transplanted patient may experience a reactive psychopathologic process (depression, anxiety, dissociative disorder) both due to transplanted organ acceptance difficulties and immunosuppressive therapy complications. The study of psychological aspects and their evaluation using a multidisciplinary approach are important to avoid issues not adequately recognized, which can undermine the transplant success, and/or lead to psychological distress and psychological suffering in the patient. Transplanted patient re-employment and social and family reintegration requires psychotherapeutic support to implement new coping strategies.