title: Evaluation of the health-related quality of life for patients following laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has become the standard procedure, and contributes to a shorter hospital stay. However, there have been no reports regarding when the patients can be discharged in terms of their health-related quality of life (HRQOL).
  
  
  METHODS
  The HRQOL was evaluated by using the SF-8 health survey (SF-8) 24-hour version in 127 consecutive patients treated from May 2007 to December 2008. The HRQOL and a visual analogue scale (VAS) score were assessed on the day before surgery and on postoperative day (POD) 1, POD2 and POD7.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All scores of the eight domains on POD1 were significantly decreased compared to the preoperative score (P < 0.05), and seven scores were still decreased on POD2, with the mental health (MH) domain showing an improvement. On POD7, the general health score improved to the preoperative level. The physical component summary 8 (PCS-8) was suppressed for all 7 days after LC. The mental health component summary 8 (MCS-8) was improved to the preoperative level on POD2, despite the significant suppression observed on POD1 (P < 0.05). The VAS score was higher in the low PCS-8 (PCS-8 < 42.4) and low MCS-8 (MCS-8 < 40.6) patients than in the high PCS-8 and high MCS-8 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HRQOL score demonstrated the improvement of the MCS-8 on POD2, which might suggest that a discharge of LC patients is appropriate on POD2 in terms of the patients' point of view.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama, 641-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaji
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Ken-Ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Seiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirono
authors.forename: Tsukasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: Katsunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takifuji
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamaue
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013995:Time; D055815:Young Adult