title: Quality of life after peripheral bypass surgery: a 1 year follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to assess quality of life (QoL) in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) after aortobifemoral bypass.
  
  
  METHODS
  QoL assessments were completed by 78 patients, 61 (78.2 %) men and 17 (21.8 %) women. QoL was measured, using Medical Outcome Survey Short Form 36 (SF-36), before surgery and 1 year later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  QoL significantly improved after revascularization in about two-third of patients with PAD. Improvement was present in all the SF-36 subscales with the exception of the score for mental health which significantly decreased after operation. Mean SF-36 scores, which were for almost all subscales significantly decreased in patients with PAD in comparison with reference populations, after operation reached or exceeded values of the populations with which they were compared.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present study 1 year after revascularization QoL in patients with PAD was significantly improved in comparison with QoL before operation. Long-term follow-up is needed in order to assess duration of this beneficial effect of bypass surgery.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Visegradska 26, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia, kristiv@eunet.rs.
authors.forename: Hristina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vlajinac
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marinkovic
authors.forename: Slobodan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaskovic
authors.forename: Nikola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kocev
authors.forename: Djordje
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Radak
authors.forename: Dragana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Davidovic
authors.forename: Milos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maksimovic
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000601:surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D055771:Serbia; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D058017:Vascular Grafting / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*