title: Quality of life of very young spina bifida patients after initial surgical treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of this study were to assess the quality of life (QOL) of operated patients with spina bifida (SB) in their initial years and to elucidate the factors affecting the QOL and the timing of proposed interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 18 patients operated on for SB, aging 3 years or more at the time of assessment. The quality of life score was calculated for all the patients by the parental-administered questionnaire method. The impact of all these factors on the social and school lives of these patients was studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven patients were having neurogenic bladder. Thirteen patients were having stool problems which ranged from mild to severe constipation and soiling. Five patients were having lower limb deformities interfering with normal ambulation. Ten patients were able to walk on their own without any help, four patients were using either crutches or help of the caregiver for ambulation while the remaining four patients were non-ambulatory. Twelve patients were attending school. The calculated QOL scores ranged from 2 to 15. The Barthel Index (BI) ranged from 15 to 100. The QOL questionnaire score and BI were showing significant positive correlation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The patients operated on for SB commonly have the neurological sequelae. The QOL score identifies the important problems in the initial years after surgery which can help in initiating and maintaining rehabilitative services in these patients. The treatment of urinary and fecal incontinence very early in life will allow these children to have a normal social and school life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Advanced Pediatric Center, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Kirtikumar Jagdish
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Rathod
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.forename: Rizwan Ahmad
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: K L N
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D011788:Quality of Life; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome