EFFECT OF ABDOMINAL SURGERY ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS AND PRIMARY CAREGIVERS
Daniel Ramirez*3,4, Isaias Valderrama Bastida5, Claudia Aurora Vega3, Erika Pineda3, Fátima Higuera de La Tijera1, Diana L. Pozos1, Evelyn Altamirano6, Santiago Camacho1,2
1Hospital General de Mexico Dr Eduardo Liceaga, Ciudad de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico; 2Universidad Iberoamericana, Ciudad de Mexico, Ciudad de México, Mexico; 3Hospital General Enrique Cabrera, Secretaria de Salud de la Ciudad de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico; 4Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico Facultad de Medicina, Ciudad de Mexico, Ciudad de México, Mexico; 5Hospital General La Villa, Secretaria de Salud de la Ciudad de Mexico, Ciudad de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico; 6Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de Mexico, DF, Mexico
Background: Despite its proven utility, quality of life has been neglected in general abdominal procedures. Furthermore, its effect in patients and primary caregivers has not been evaluated. Aim: To evaluate the effects on the quality of life of patients undergoing abdominal surgery and primary caregivers. Materials and Methods: We evaluated the quality of life by means of the short questionnaire 36 (Short Form-36) in 43 patients undergoing abdominal surgery [63% women, 37.42±13.02 (33.53-41.31) years] and their respective primary caregivers [65% women, 44.37 ±13.66 (40.29-48.46) years]. The questionnaire was applied on the day of surgery (±1) and 30 days after [31.93±2.64 (31.14-32.72) days]. Data express mean ± standard deviation and 95% confidence interval or percentages, as appropriate. Paired two-tailed Student's t-test was used with alpha= 0.05. Results: Surgeries included cholecystectomy (49%), appendectomy (21%), inguinal (12%) or umbilical (9%) hernia repair, and laparotomy (9%). Figure. At 30 days, both the patients and their primary caregivers showed deterioration in their physical role. Patients showed deterioration in the emotional role and an improvement in general health, while the primary caregivers showed a decrease in the body pain score, both at one month. Compared with their respective patients, primary caregivers show better scores in function and physical role on the day of surgery and after one month; body pain was better in the primary caregivers on the day of surgery and, however, it was lost after a month, while the emotional role was similar between both groups on the day of surgery, but less in patients after 30 days. Discussion: These results show differences in quality of life between the day of surgery and 30 days. Patients show improvement in the perception of general health but decrease in the perception of physical and emotional roles. After a month, the primary caregivers showed a decrease in the perception of physical role and bodily pain, which suggests that this is how the process of possible burnout begins. These findings may be useful for developing therapeutic strategies before, during, and after abdominal surgery to reduce the physical and emotional burden on patients and primary caregivers.
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