[The assessment of therapy success after radical prostatectomy].

OBJECTIVES

Patient satisfaction plays an important role in the outcome quality of treatment for localized prostate carcinoma. This paper identifies factors that impact patients' assessment of therapy success one year after surgery.

METHODS

Patient assessment of therapy success was measured with the Hamburger Fragebogen zum Krankenhausaufenthalt (Lecher et al. 2002). Also, several sociodemographic, clinical and quality-of-life factors were tested for their impact on the patient assessment of therapy success.

RESULTS

25 % of patients gave a negative assessment of therapy success. Factors with the strongest impact were urinary incontinence, sexual impotence, younger age and higher risk of recidive.

CONCLUSIONS

Especially the prevention of urinary continence and sexual dysfunction may lead to a better assessment of therapy. Moreover, the patients' expectations have a great impact on the assessment of therapy success.