title: Improvement in quality-of-life after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evaluating quality of life after surgery for gastroesophageal reflux is fundamental, since improvement of symptoms is the main goal of treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the satisfaction of patients operated for GERD, interviewed at the office, with patients interviewed by telephone.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and seventy-eight patients were submitted to laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication. Ninety patients were found, and 45 agreed to come to the hospital's office. The other 45 patients were interviewed by telephone. Quality of life was evaluated using three methods: The GERD-HRQL questionnaire, translated to Portuguese; question "If you could choose it today, would you do surgery again?"; and question "If you could classify your symptom improvement between 0 and 10, which grade would you give?" Patients were divided in group A (office interview) and B (telephone interview). Statistical analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average GERD-HRQL score in group A was 6.29, while in group B was 14.09(P = 0.002). There was no statistical difference between groups A and B regarding patients choice of doing the surgery again(P = 0.714) and their grade of postoperative symptom improvement (P = 0.642).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall postoperative satisfaction was high. The GERD-HRQL questionnaire might not be suitable for application by telephone in our population, and based on other analyzes, the satisfaction and quality of life of patients interviewed at the office or by telephone was similar.
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clinicas, Divisão de Cirurgia Esofágica, Universidade de São Paulo - Gastroenterologia, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Guilherme Tommasi
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Kappaz
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clinicas, Divisão de Cirurgia Esofágica, Universidade de São Paulo - Gastroenterologia, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rubens Antonio Aissar
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Sallum
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clinicas, Divisão de Cirurgia Esofágica, Universidade de São Paulo - Gastroenterologia, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Szachnowicz
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clinicas, Divisão de Cirurgia Esofágica, Universidade de São Paulo - Gastroenterologia, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Julio Rafael Mariano
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.affiliation: Hospital das Clinicas, Divisão de Cirurgia Esofágica, Universidade de São Paulo - Gastroenterologia, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cecconello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D018662:Fundoplication / Q000379:methods*; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires