title: Long term quality of life in patients with Hirschsprung's disease who underwent heart-shaped anastomosis during childhood: A twenty-year follow-up in China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term quality of life among adults who had undergone heart-shaped anastomosis for Hirschsprung's disease (HD) during childhood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-two cases with HD who had undergone heart-shaped anastomosis between January 1986 and January 1995 were investigated, and 90 adults with pediatric surgical and gastrointestinal disorders during the same period were randomly collected to serve as controls. They were to complete bowel function score (BFS) and WHO Quality of Life-BREF (QLB).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In BFS, there was significant difference in soiling between the HD group and the control group. Eight patients presented occasional soiling, with six of them having undergone two or more operations. Comparing persons without soiling in the HD group and controls, no significant difference was found in each area of QLB, and there was significant difference in psychology and low quality of life subjective feelings in the soiling group compared with the other HD persons and controls, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The long-term outcome of heart-shaped anastomosis for Hirschsprung's disease is satisfying. Recurrent operation is a high risk for soiling occurrence. It should be emphasized to remove all the lesion segment in the first operation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Xiaofeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Guo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China. Electronic address: fengjiexiong@126.com.
authors.forename: Jiexiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001003:Anal Canal / Q000601:surgery*; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006627:Hirschsprung Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012007:Rectum / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Hirschsprung's disease; heart-shaped anastomosis; prognosis