title: Quality of life in perspective to treatment of postoperative edema after peripheral bypass surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To examine the effects of peripheral bypass surgery on patients' quality of life (QoL) as well as to compare two treatment modalities to reduce postoperative edema with regard to patients' QoL.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized controlled trial set in the department of vascular surgery in a nonacademic teaching hospital. Ninety-three patients (mean age, 70 years; 33% Rutherford 5-6), enrolled between August 2006 and September 2009, who underwent peripheral bypass surgery (autologous 57, polytetrafluoroethylene 36). Patients were assigned to intermittent pneumatic compression (n = 46) or to compression stockings (n = 47). The main outcome measure was QoL, measured with the World Health Organization Quality of Life assessment instrument (short form: WHOQOL-BREF).
  
  
  RESULTS
  QoL improved on the domain of Physical Health by 7.18 points (P < 0.001 [range, 0-100]) after 2 weeks and by 10.03 points (P < 0.001) after 3 months. Patients who received a polytetrafluoroethylene bypass scored 0.45 points (P = 0.0008 [range, 1-5]) lower at baseline on Global QoL than patients who received an autologous bypass. Type of bypass or edema treatment method did not affect the improvements. Edema did not correlate with QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvement in QoL on the domain Physical Health following femoropopliteal bypass surgery was found as soon as 2 weeks after surgery. Improvement in QoL domains was not influenced by the type of bypass reconstruction. No specific effects of edema on QoL were detected.
authors: Department of Surgery, Amphia Hospital, Breda, The Netherlands.
authors: Çiğdem
authors: Ç
authors: Öztürk
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: te Slaa
authors: Dennis E J G J
authors: DE
authors: Dolmans
authors: G H
authors: GH
authors: Ho
authors: Jolanda
authors: J
authors: de Vries
authors: Paul G H
authors: PG
authors: Mulder
authors: Lyckle
authors: L
authors: van der Laan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D048228:Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Devices; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D053828:Stockings, Compression; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D058017:Vascular Grafting / Q000009:adverse effects*