title: Quality of life in patients undergoing totally thoracoscopic closure for atrial septal defect.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quality of life in patients undergoing totally thoracoscopic closure of atrial septal defect is unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thoracoscopic atrial septal defect repair was performed in 96 patients (37 males, aged 19.4 ± 8.7 years) without the aid of a computerized robotic surgical system. An additional 56 patients (23 males, aged 21.0 ± 16.1 years) undergoing conventional atrial septal defect closure through sternotomy were enrolled as a control group. Quality of life was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Survey on day 60 after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Atrial septal defect closure was successful in all patients. There was no perioperative mortality or reoperation for bleeding. Total duration of operations (98 ± 11 versus 128 ± 21 minutes, p < 0.01) and hospital stays (5.3 ± 1.7 versus 6.9 ± 2.1 days, p = 0.024) were shorter in the study group than in the control group, respectively. At discharge, patients with moderate to severe incisional pain in the study and control groups was 11.6% and 62.5%, respectively (p = 0.008). The time interval between discharge and returning to school or work in the study group was shorter than in the control group (28 ± 4 versus 42 ± 7 days, p = 0.003). The mean scores of eight variables in the Short Form Survey, such as physical function, bodily pain, social function, and general or mental health in the study group were higher than in the control group (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with conventional sternotomy, totally thoracoscopic atrial septal defect closure was associated with a faster recovery of physical function and a better quality of life.
authors: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Liaocheng People's Hospital and Liaocheng Clinical School of Taishan Medical University, Liaocheng, Shandong, China.mazengshan@126.com
authors: Zeng-Shan
authors: ZS
authors: Ma
authors: Qiu-Yang
authors: QY
authors: Yin
authors: Ming-Feng
authors: MF
authors: Dong
authors: Zhi-Yu
authors: ZY
authors: Feng
authors: Le-Xin
authors: LX
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D013997:Time Factors