Assessment of quality of life in patients with idiopathic scoliosis treated operatively.

BACKGROUND

A small percentage of patients with idiopathic scoliosis undergo surgery, which is only used in the case of the most extreme deformities of the spine and chest and progression of disease despite conservative treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life in patients with idiopathic scoliosis treated operatively and to examine the correlations between the quality of life and radiographic and socio-demographic indices.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

wo independent groups of patients operated on at the Department of Pediatric Orthopedics of the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin were examined using a standardized SRS -22 HRQL instrument. Quality of life was assessed on three occasions in 35 patients from the first group. The second group included 52 patients at least two years post-surgery.

RESULTS

The assessment of physical fitness revealed a decrease proportional to the length of time since surgery. Higher pain intensity was reported by patients whose surgery took place more than 2 years prior to the study. The analysis of mental health assessment results indicated a decrease proportional to the length of time since surgery. No statistically significant differences were found with respect to patients' self-assessment of their body image and treatment satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

1. Operative correction of scoliosis enhances patients' self-assessment of their body image and contributes to a high assessment score for treatment satisfaction. 2. No correlations were found between the overall quality of life and previous conservative treatment. 3. Deterioration of physical fitness, mental health impairment and increasing pain intensity were observed among patients residing in small towns and rural areas and those experiencing socioeconomic problems 4. The degree of scoliosis correction in the thoracic spine contributes to increasing life quality, especially in late assessment.