Abstract

In this study, we reveal the anguish and distress experienced by four recipients of cadaveric kidney transplantation at Niigata University Hospital in the context of their life histories. The study participants had experienced the following life histories: 1) regret over worsening kidney disease and dissatisfaction with the information provided by medical staff, 2) long-term suffering from dialysis, 3) hopelessness of receiving a living kidney donation, 4) habituation to a life of dialysis and anxiety about transplantation, 5) a positive or negative impression of transplantation, and 6) consideration of the donor with constraints imposed by the anonymous transplant system. Our analysis suggests that recipients who underwent CKT experienced distress as follows: 1) waiting for CKT while undergoing dialysis was the only option that patients had not having close relatives donors; 2) their autonomy in making a choice of treatment was too limited, partly due to long-term suffering associated with dialysis. It was limited to adapting to dialysis over their entire lifetime or undergoing CKT to fully recover; and 3) CKT recipients experienced distress over concern for others and as a recipient of a precious gift that they should not waste, regardless of their postoperative condition. Moreover, the current system prohibits any contact between donors and recipients; thus, recipients are only able to express their gratitude to a nameless donor.