title: Utility outcome assessment of the aging neck following massive weight loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors set out to quantify the health state utility assessment of living with the physical appearance of the aging neck following massive weight loss. Described utility scores may help to establish the health burden of the aging neck in the growing bariatric patient population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three validated tools were used to determine utility scores for living with an aging neck: visual analog scale (VAS), time trade-off (TTO), and standard gamble (SG). A 5-point Likert scale was used to evaluate the subjects' ease of understanding. A prospective sample of volunteers from the general population and medical students was used for this assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 118 prospective volunteers were included in the survey. All measures (VAS, TTO, SG); (0.89 ± 0.07, 0.94 ± 0.08, and 0.95 ± 0.10, respectively) varied (P < .0001) from the corresponding ones for monocular blindness (0.62 ± 0.18, 0.87 ± 0.15, and 0.85 ± 0.20, respectively) and binocular blindness (0.32 ± 0.18, 0.66 ± 0.25, and 0.64 ± 0.28, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors objectified the health state of living with an aging neck in the massive weight loss patient with utility scores (TTO, 0.94) comparable with those living with obstructive sleep apnea. This sample population, if faced with an aging neck following massive weight loss, would undertake a neck rejuvenation procedure with a theoretical 5% chance of mortality and would be willing to trade 2.1 years of remaining life-years to attain this procedure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Montreal General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Hani H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Sinno
authors.forename: Ahmed M S
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Izadpanah
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thibaudeau
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Christodoulou
authors.forename: Youssef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tahiri
authors.forename: Sumner A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Slavin
authors.forename: Samuel J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult