Health-related quality of life after emergency abdominal surgery

Patients' survival and quality of life are key factors in assessing value of treatments. However, limited evidence exists about the trajectory and key determinants of patients' health-related quality of life (QoL) following emergency abdominal surgery.

Using the Enhanced Peri-Operative Care for High-risk patients study with measured QoL during eight months follow-up using the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire, we summarise the trajectory of patients' QoL after emergency abdominal surgery and use multivariable regression models to relate patients' demographic and clinical characteristics, pre-surgery characteristics, and time elapsed since surgery with their QoL. In further analysis we assess the contribution of post-surgery patient characteristics.

Data from 686 patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery (50.4% female; mean age 66.6 (standard deviation (SD) 12.8) years; 50.1% with intestinal obstruction as indication for surgery), with QoL measurements were analysed. Shortly after surgery (mean days 7.59 (SD 7.48)), the mean EQ-5D-3L QoL utility score was 0.21 (SD 0.46), which improved among survivors to 0.74 (SD 0.31) in the medium- to long-term (i.e., three to eight months) following surgery. Patient's sex and preoperative risk of mortality were key determinants of QoL shortly after surgery. In addition to time since surgery, patient's sex, Charlson Comorbidity index, ASA physical status and indication for surgery were key pre-surgery predictors of QoL in the medium- to long-term post-surgery. From post-surgery characteristics, duration of hospital admission for index surgery and further days in hospital within 30 days prior to QoL measurement were key further determinants of QoL in the medium- to long-term.

Individual patient, surgery, and recovery characteristics determine QoL post-emergency abdominal surgery and can help inform clinician-patient discussions and assessments of value of abdominal surgery interventions.