Health-related quality of life following robotic surgery: a pilot study

To determine the relationship between BMI, age, and the physical, functional, and psychosocial areas of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and patient satisfaction in women with endometrial cancer undergoing robotic-assisted surgery.

During the first two years of the robotic surgery program, we prospectively collected data concerning patient demographics and surgical outcomes. At the first postoperative visit (21 to 28 days after surgery), all participants completed a HRQoL questionnaire. We examined the association between BMI and age, as well as the different areas of HRQoL, using chi-square and ANOVA.

Of 109 participants, 41 were 70 years of age or older, and 51 had a BMI of 30 kg/m(2) or more. Following surgery, the mean (±SD) duration of hospital stay was 1.9 ± 1.5 days, and reported pain level was highest on the second postoperative day, with a mean score of 3.4 ± 2.1 on a seven-point scale. Moreover, two thirds of women reported no pain by the first postoperative visit, and only 18.2% of women aged 70 years or older used any narcotic for pain control. These results indicated that there was little influence of the surgery on HRQoL, and women resumed typical activities within an average of 11 days after surgery. Lastly, participants' average rating of satisfaction was 6.7 on a seven-point scale.

This pilot study has demonstrated the advantages for HRQoL of robotic-assisted surgery in the management of endometrial cancer. Women with endometrial cancer benefited from use of robotic surgery regardless of age or BMI.