Journal Article

Long-Term Outcome Study in Patients with Abdominal Wound Dehiscence: a Comparative Study on Quality of Life, Body Image, and Incisional Hernia

Eker, Hasan H., Jeekel, Johannes, Lange, Johan F., van Ramshorst, Gabrielle H., van der Voet, Jan A.

2013

Overview

Objective Long-term quality of life and body image of patients with abdominal wound dehiscence were assessed. Methods Thirty-seven patients with abdominal wound dehiscence from a prospectively followed cohort of 967 patients (2007–2009) were reviewed. Patients completed the Short Form 36 quality of life questionnaire and Body Image Questionnaire and participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. For each patient, four controls were matched by age and gender. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, comorbidity, and follow-up length. Results Of the 37 patients with abdominal wound dehiscence, 23 were alive after a mean follow-up of 40 months (range 33–49 months). Nineteen patients developed incisional hernias (83 %). Patients with abdominal wound dehiscence reported significantly lower scores for physical and mental component summaries ( p  = 0.038, p  = 0.013), general health ( p  = 0.003), mental health ( p  = 0.011), social functioning ( p  = 0.002), and change ( p  = 0.034). No differences were found for physical functioning ( p  = 0.072), role physical ( p  = 0.361), bodily pain ( p  = 0.133), vitality ( p  = 0.150), and role emotional ( p  = 0.138). Patients with abdominal wound dehiscence reported lower body image scores (median 16.5 vs. 18, p  = 0.087), cosmetic scores (median 13 vs. 16, p  = 0.047), and total body image scores (median 30 vs. 34, p  = 0.042). Conclusions At long-term follow-up, patients with abdominal wound dehiscence demonstrated a high incidence of incisional hernia, low body image, and low quality of life.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Abdomen / Abdomen - surgery / Abdominal surgery / Aged / Body image / Body Image - psychology / Case-Control Studies / Comorbidity / Diabetes / Female / Fistula / Follow-Up Studies / Gastroenterology / Health Status / Hernia, Abdominal - etiology / Hernia, Abdominal - surgery / Hernias / Hospitals / Humans / Infections / Interviews as Topic / Laparoscopy / Male / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Mental Health / Middle Aged / Original Article / Patient satisfaction / Postoperative period / Prospective Studies / Quality of Life / Questionnaires / Recurrence / Self image / Social Participation / Surgery / Surgical Wound Dehiscence - complications / Surgical Wound Dehiscence - economics / Surgical Wound Dehiscence - psychology / Surveys and Questionnaires / Time Factors / Wound dehiscence