title: Impairments, disabilities, and handicaps after acoustic neuroma surgery.
abstract: The measurement of a patient's health-related quality of life following acoustic neuroma surgery is important because the surgery itself can impose significant symptoms postoperatively. This study describes the most common problems experienced by the patients, using an open-ended questionnaire mailed to a series of 70 patients who had undergone acoustic neuroma surgery. Patient responses were classified by impairment, disability and handicap, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification. Results showed that this group of patients had a wide variety of symptoms and concerns, and particularly highlighted the relative importance of visual (49% of the patients) and psychosocial problems (34% of the patients) associated with surgery in contrast to tinnitus that seemed to be of minor importance. Open-ended questionnaires are useful in assessing outcomes from a quality of life perspective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bateman
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Nikolopoulos
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: O'Donoghue
mesh_terms: D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology