Previous Section
Guidebook Subsections
Patient Preference and Quality of Life Issues in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
In studies evaluating quality of life issues after elective surgery for the repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm, patients' responses to questions regarding post-surgical quality of life were, on the average, similar for both procedures (some differences appear in various studies). Two clinical trials were published in the Netherlands in 2004 comparing responses to questionnaires regarding quality of life of a group of patients who underwent EVAR and a group who underwent open repair for AAA. Results indicated that:
Regarding overall quality of life one month after surgery, the group who underwent EVAR reported a better quality of life than those who underwent open repair. However at 6 months postsurgery, those who underwent open repair reported a better quality of life than those who underwent EVAR.
Regarding health-related aspects of quality of life (limitation of functioning due to pain, or loss of vitality), both groups scored significantly lower one month post-surgery than they scored preoperatively. However, at three months, scores of both groups were comparable to their preoperative levels of functioning.
While initially the EVAR group scored higher on health-related quality of life issues, by three months after surgery, both groups reported similar scores. This indicates that the benefit of EVAR on health-related quality of life appears to be short-lived.
You can see additional information about theses clinical trials by clicking on the following link:
In 2006, a study was published with results of a pilot study on sexual dysfunction following open repair of AAA and EVAR. Both types of surgery had a negative impact on the sexual dysfunction aspect of quality of life. The greatest difference in sexual dysfunction between the preoperative and postoperative (1-2 years) periods was reported by patients who under went elective open repair (27% of patients before surgery to 58% post-surgery). The differences for those who underwent EVAR were not as great (63% preoperative to 76% postoperative). The baseline for sexual dysfunction preoperatively was higher among patients undergoing EVAR since they tended to have more comorbid conditions which prevented them from being candidates for open surgical repair.
In-depth coverage of this issue is viewable by clicking on the following link:
