title: Quality of life, pain and return to normal activities following laparoscopic donor nephrectomy versus open mini-incision donor nephrectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated pain, convalescence and health related quality of life in patients undergoing laparoscopic and open mini-incision donor nephrectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the records of consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic and mini-incision open donor nephrectomy from our donor nephrectomy data base in retrospective fashion using 2 questionnaires. The first questionnaire evaluated postoperative pain, return to functioning time and satisfaction. The second questionnaire was the RAND 36-Item Health Survey, version 2, a standardized and validated health survey quality of life assessment tool. Mean patient sex, age and followup were similar for the 2 groups. All data were analyzed using the 2-tailed t test for independent variables with commercially available statistical analysis software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pain in the laparoscopic group was significantly less than in the mini-incision group at all followup time points (p <0.05). Statistically significant differences demonstrated that laparoscopy led to more rapid recovery time in certain categories, including walking, discontinuation of prescribed oral pain relievers, return to driving, and resumption of normal work and home daily activities. More subjective questions in the survey showed high levels of acceptance for the 2 procedures. Using the RAND 36-Item Health Survey, version 2 health related quality of life was significantly higher in the laparoscopy group in 3 domains that measure bodily pain, physical functioning and emotional role functioning. However, each group scored at or above age matched American averages in all domains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The laparoscopy group had significantly less postoperative pain and required less time to return to normal functional activities than the mini-incision group. In addition, the laparoscopic group showed significantly higher quality of life scores than the mini-incision group in 3 domains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
authors.forename: Kent T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Freedland
authors.forename: Jim C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Phelan
authors.forename: Blaine
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kristo
authors.forename: Albin H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Gritsch
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rajfer
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Schulam
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D010149:Postoperative Pain; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires