[ASSESSMENT OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS AFTER CHOLECYSTECTOMY]

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Outcomes
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Quality of Life (QOL) assessment is crucial in modern medicine for comprehensive patient health evaluation.
• Cholecystectomy is a common surgical procedure, and understanding its long-term impact on patient QOL is important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Quality of Life (QOL) of patients following cholecystectomy.
• To identify factors influencing QOL in the postoperative period.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the international Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) questionnaire for patient interviews.
• Analyzed QOL based on postoperative time (0.7-4.1 years), hospitalization type, demographics (sex, age, marital status), gallbladder structure, activity, hospitalization duration, and surgical access type.

Main Results:

• QOL index significantly correlates with the time elapsed since surgery, showing improvement over time.
• Positive QOL influences identified include: staying with family, planned vs. urgent cholecystectomy, laparatomic surgical access, older age, and being male.
• Patients with chronic gallbladder changes reported higher QOL.

Conclusions:

• Post-cholecystectomy QOL demonstrates a positive trend over time.
• Several patient and surgical factors significantly impact QOL, offering insights for improving patient care and recovery.
• Understanding these influencing factors can aid in optimizing patient management and expectations after cholecystectomy.