QUality of Life After Open Surgical Necrosectomy in Infected Pancreatic Necrosis (QUIP): Defining Targets for...

Open surgical necrosectomy remains an important intervention for selected patients with infected pancreatic necrosis, yet data on post-recovery health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are limited. We aimed to describe HRQoL outcomes following open necrosectomy.

In this single-center observational study, consecutive patients who underwent open surgical necrosectomy for infected pancreatic necrosis were assessed for HRQoL at a single post-recovery time point using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Domain and composite scores were analyzed descriptively and compared across age groups, disease severity (revised Atlanta classification), culture positivity, and the presence of bowel communication.

Eighty-two patients were included (mean age 34.7 ± 11.5 years; 87.8% male). Mean SF-36 domain scores clustered in the low-to-mid 80 s, indicating broadly preserved HRQoL. Highest mean scores were observed in Mental Health (86.5 ± 18.0) and Social Functioning (86.1 ± 19.9), while Role-Physical showed the greatest variability (76.5 ± 39.4). Composite Physical and Mental Health scores were consistent across age categories. Domain-specific differences were seen across severity categories without a clear severity-dependent trend. Patients with positive cultures and those with bowel communication tended to have higher scores across most domains.

Survivors of open surgical necrosectomy can achieve favorable post-recovery HRQoL across multiple domains, supporting inclusion of patient-reported outcomes in pancreatitis research and survivorship-focused postoperative care.