Quality of Life
Research June 2016, Volume 25, Issue 6,
pp 1527–1536
Kadir Çeviker Email
author, Şahin Şahinalp, Erdinç Çiçek,
Deniz Demir, Dinçer Uysal, Rasih Yazkan, Abdullah Akpınar,
Turhan Yavuz, Kadir Çeviker
Abstract
Purpose The main purpose of this study was to
evaluate the influence of any of the four domains of the QoL score in CVD patients of classes C0–C4 and to
analyze the correlation between the QoL and types of treatment modalities, and
an additional aim of the present study was to compare QoL levels of patients
with CVD and healthy participants and was
to examine the factors associated with QoL in CVD patients.
Methods \The sample was composed of
501 patients with primary superficial venous reflux (28.5 % male and
71.5 % female) who answered 100 % of the questions in the World
Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL-BREF) questionnaire. After a
clinical and duplex examination, the patients were categorized as C0–C4,
according to the CEAP classification. The relationships between WHOQoL-BREF
domains and gender, age, occupation, BMI, the clinical classes of the CEAP
classification and four different treatment modalities according to guideline
were analyzed.
Results For the
WHOQOL-BREF test battery, the patients with CVD had worse values, as compared with
the control group participants. The differences were significant for the
physical (77.81 ± 12.75 vs. 59.18 ± 12.90, p < 0.001),
the psychological (74.78 ± 11.37 vs. 60.21 ± 14.70, p < 0.001),
the social relationships (76.56 ± 13.56 vs. 63.07 ± 21.37, p < 0.001)
and the environmental (70.27 ± 13.36 vs. 50.16 ± 11.39, p < 0.001)
health scores. The patients with CVD had worse WHOQOL-BREF scores at
initial, compared with the 6-month follow-up scores.
Conclusion: This study
shows that in spite of undergoing therapy, the subsequent QoL scores did not improve
significantly, indicating that CVD continued to negatively affect the patient’s life.
The effect of long saphenous vein stripping on quality of life.
Abstract
PURPOSE:
Long saphenous vein (LSV) stripping in the treatment of varicose veins may reduce the recurrence of varices but may also increase morbidity rates. The effect of stripping on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of LSV surgery, with and without successful stripping, on HRQoL.
METHODS:
This prospective study comprises 102 consecutive patients who underwent varicose vein surgery that included attempted stripping of the LSV to the knee. HRQoL was assessed before surgery and at 4 weeks, 6 months, and 2 years after surgery with the Aberdeen varicose vein severity score (AVSS; disease-specific) and the Short-Form 36 (SF-36; generic). Patients defined as stripped were those in whom complete thigh stripping to the knee was confirmed with postoperative duplex scanning at 2 years. Patients defined as incompletely stripped were those in whom any LSV remnant was found in the thigh after surgery. Deep venous reflux (DVR) was defined as reflux of 0.5 seconds or more in at least the popliteal vein.
RESULTS:
Sixty-six of 102 patients (65%) provided complete HRQoL data at all four time points. At baseline, there was no significant difference between patients who were stripped (n = 25) and incompletely stripped (n = 41) in terms of AVSS, SF-36, age, gender, DVR, or CEAP grade. Significantly more patients in the incompletely stripped group underwent surgery for recurrent disease (29/41, 71%, versus 8/25, 32%; P =.002, with chi(2) test). Both groups gained significant improvements in AVSS scores for as much as 2 years. After adjustment for recurrent disease, stripping conferred additional benefit in terms of AVSS at 6 months (median [interquartile range]) (9 [4 to 16] versus 15 [9 to 24]; P =.031) and 2 years (7 [2 to 10] versus 9 [5 to 15]; P =.014), which was statistically significant in patients without preoperative DVR but not significant in patients with preoperative DVR. SF-36 scores were not affected by stripping.
CONCLUSION:
LSV surgery leads to a significant improvement in disease-specific HRQoL for as much as 2 years. In patients without DVR, stripping to the knee confers additional benefit.
