title: Quality of life following total hip replacement.
abstract: Orthopaedic surgeons have traditionally used disease-specific scoring systems that focus on relief of pain and improvement in function. However, these allow little scope for patient assessed outcomes such as quality of life. This study assessed quality of life before and after Total Hip Replacement (THR) using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. 100 patients were interviewed pre-operatively and 9 months to one year post-operatively. Data on waiting times/length of stay/complication rates were collected by reviewing clinical notes. The mean length of stay was 22.0 +/- 10.6 days, with a pre-operative length of stay of 5.0 days. 12 patients in all had a post-operative complication, including one post-operative death. There was a statistically significant improvement in overall SF-36 score (+19%) and in 7 out of the 8 parameters that make up the SF-36 score (p < 0.001). Patients undergoing THR in Navan showed a statistically significant improvement in their quality of life post-operatively. Complication rates were in keeping with international norms. It is apparent that patients receive a high quality of care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, North Eastern Health Board, Navan, Co. Meath.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: O'Connell
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Browne
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corcoran
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Howell
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires