Att leva med ett nytt hjärta
Uppleverser efter en transplantation
Heart transplantationPatientExperienceQuality of lifeHjärttransplantationPatientUpplevelserLivskvalité
Background: A life with severe chronic heart failure is debilitating, and most patients die of the disease. The possibility of having a heart from a deceased donor is often the patient's only hope of continued life. Aim: To gain a deeper insight and understanding of the patients experiences after a heart transplant. Method: Literature study with results based on 13 scientific articles. Results: Gratitude was the great common experience for the recipients of new hearts. Patients felt gratitude to the donor and his family. Many directed their gratitude to God who they believed had given them a new chance for life. Gratitude was also directed to medical staff without their support and knowledge had the transplant could not be implemented. The recipient of the new heart also had feelings of guilt for their own survival was based on someone else's death. Discussion: We found that gratitude was quite a natural experience after a heart transplant, because the patients got a new chance at life. The result about God may have been influenced by the articles are from the U.S. and Brazil, where God may be more significant for some individuals. We believe it is important that as medical personnel be aware of and understand what the transplant has gone through.