Changes in quality of life after lung surgery in old and young patients: are they similar?

The aim of the study was to compare the changes in health-related quality of life (QOL) after lung surgery between young and old patients.

We performed a prospective, population-based, cohort study to investigate health-related QOL before and 6 months after lung surgery. We used the validated instrument Short Form-36 (SF-36), to investigate QOL. The main outcome measures were fractional change in the SF-36 physical (DeltaPCS%) and mental (DeltaMCS%) component summary scores. We also compared the two age groups to age- and sex-matched reference populations.

We included 249 patients: 166 young (<70 years) and 83 old (> or =70 years) patients. The overall response rate at 6 months was 84%. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome measures between young and old patients (DeltaPCS% -13 vs. -16, p = 0.55; DeltaMCS% 9 vs. 1, p = 0.22). The 2-year survivals (mean follow-up 2.1 years) were 83% and 84% in young and old patients, respectively (p = 0.72). In both groups, physical and mental QOL were lower than in the reference populations.

We found that at 6 months after lung surgery old patients experienced deterioration in physical and mental health-related QOL similar to that of young patients. Survival also was similar in the two groups.