Lived Experiences of Kidney Transplant Patients and their Family Members from Transplant Rejection

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: The prevalence and incidence of end-stage renal disease, which requires renal replacement therapy such as dialysis and kidney transplantation, is increasing. However, not all kidney transplants are successful. This phenomenological study was conducted to explain the experiences of patients with a failed kidney transplant and their families about transplant rejection. Method: This phenomenological study was carried out in 2020 on 10 patients with a failed kidney transplant and 10 family members in dialysis wards of Bu Ali hospital in Ardabil and Imam Reza hospital in Tabriz. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. All data were recorded and transcribed verbatim and were analyzed using Van Mann's approach. Findings: Findings of the study showed that patients' experiences of kidney transplant rejection emerged in the form of 5 themes and 12 subthemes, which included a need for support (erosion of family support, support by medical staff, weak government support), enduring the bitterness of rejection by relying on divine power (submission to the will of God, enduring hardships with the help of spirituality), failure to play roles (discontent with dependence on others, inability to play roles), mental turmoil (unpreparedness to face an uncertain future, mental breakdown) and stigma (feeling guilty about causing damage to another human’s body, hiding illness, isolation). Regarding the families of the patients, 4 main themes and 11 sub-themes emerged, which included spiritualism (belief in divine favor, clinging to religious beliefs, appreciation of possessions), fear of the future (living worries, worries about having no protector), need for support (expecting financial support from others, expecting spiritual support), desperation (feeling empty, feeling isolated, feeling helpless, being under interrogation). Conclusion Identifying the phenomenological experiences of patients after kidney transplant rejection in this study can provide a more precise perspective for nurses and other healthcare staff; consequently, they can provide better treatment conditions for such patients by incorporating these findings into their clinical interventions. Additionally, future researches can use these findings to organize and implement more complete and complementary research projects in this field. It is essential that both patients and their families be supported by the healthcare team and not being left alone to endure the stress resulting from transplant rejection.