Patients’ health and quality of life after complex endovascular aortic repair: A prospective cohort study

Rationale

Complex endovascular aortic repair often involves multiple major procedures over time with a high risk of complications and little time for recovery. This exposes patients to great stress, both physically and mentally, with potentially long-lasting effects. There is limited knowledge about these effects and who is most at risk – information on this could help vascular nurses and other healthcare professionals anticipate and meet care needs.

Aim

To investigate the health and quality of life effects of complex endovascular aortic repair, in relation to patients’ demographic and health characteristics.

Design

A prospective cohort study.

Methods

Patients undergoing elective complex endovascular aortic repair were consecutively recruited from one university hospital during one year (n=25). Self-report questionnaires on health disability (WHODAS 2.0), quality of life (WHOQoL-BREF) and symptoms of anxiety and depression (HADS) were filled out preoperatively and repeated one and six months postoperatively. Prospective changes in health and quality of life, and associations with patient demographics and preoperative health characteristics, were assessed. Ethical approval was obtained prior to study performance.

Results

Overall, patients had significantly greater health disability at one month (WHODAS 2.0 score median 31.5, range 1.1–63.0) than preoperatively (median 13.6, range 0.0–41.3) (n=22, p=.017); the majority had recovered at six months (median 11.4, range 3.3–58.7) (n=18, p=.042). No significant effects were seen in quality of life and symptoms of anxiety and depression (p>.05). However, the participants showed heterogeneity, with certain individuals not recovered at six months (n=8). Factors associated with worse six-month outcomes were being female, age < 70 years, postoperative complications, and history of anxiety or depression.

Conclusions

Complex endovascular aortic repair have limited long-term negative effects on patients’ health and quality of life. However, some patients are not recovered at six months postoperatively, which could be explained by individual characteristics. To improve recovery outcomes, vascular nurses and other health care professionals should be aware of the possible recovery trajectories and factors associated with impaired recovery, and use them to anticipate and meet the patients’ individual care needs.