Health-related quality of life in survivors of open ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: a matched, controlled cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to document the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for patients who survived operative repair of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA) and to compare this with a matched group of patients who survived elective operative repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (EAAA).


METHODS
A matched, controlled cohort study of HRQOL was used to compare patients surviving RAAA with an EAAA control group. The study was conducted at two university-affiliated vascular tertiary care referral centers. Survivors of RAAA and EAAA during an 8.5-year period were identified and followed up. The RAAA and EAAA control patients were matched for age, serum creatinine concentration, gender, and duration of follow-up since surgery. HRQOL was measured with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36). Scores for the EAAA and RAAA cohorts were also compared with age-corrected SF-36 population scores.


RESULTS
Of 267 patients operated for RAAA during the study period, 130 (49%) survived to hospital discharge. Death after discharge was documented in 35 patients, leaving a potential study population of 95 RAAA survivors. Thirteen were lost to follow-up, seven refused to participate, and four patients were not able to participate. The SF-36 was completed by 71 RAAA patients (75% of surviving RAAA patients). The 71 RAAA survivors and 189 EAAA control patients were similar for seven of eight domains of the SF-36: Physical Function, Role-Physical, Bodily Pain, General Health, Vitality, Mental Health, and Role-Emotional. There was also no difference in the Physical Health Summary and Mental Health Summary scores. The social function component of the SF-36 demonstrated a statistically significant decline in the EAAA group. Both the EAAA and RAAA SF-36 individual and summary scores compared favorably with population norms that were adjusted only for age.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term survivors of RAAA enjoy a HRQOL that does not differ significantly from EAAA survivors. Scores for both groups compare favorably with population scores adjusted only for age.
Hill
Andrew B
AB
Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, The University of Ottawa, Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. ahill@ottawahospital.on.ca
Palerme
Louis-Philippe
LP
Brandys
Tim
T
Lewis
Ron
R
Steinmetz
Oren K
OK
D000368:Aged; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D002170:Canada; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures