gms | German Medical Science

58. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e. V. (DGNC)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC) e. V.

26. bis 29.04.2007, Leipzig

Quality of life after removal of intradural spinal tumours

Lebensqualität nach operativer Entfernung von intraduralen spinalen Tumoren

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author C. Plangger - Universitätsklinik für Neurochirurgie, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck
  • A. Obwegeser - Universitätsklinik für Neurochirurgie, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck
  • K. Galiano - Universitätsklinik für Neurochirurgie, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck
  • K. Twerdy - Universitätsklinik für Neurochirurgie, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 58. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e.V. (DGNC). Leipzig, 26.-29.04.2007. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2007. DocP 035

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dgnc2007/07dgnc290.shtml

Published: April 11, 2007

© 2007 Plangger et al.
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Outline

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Objective: Evaluation of life quality and functional outcome of patients, who were operated on an intradural extramedullary or intramedullary tumour.

Methods: Records of all patients with intradural spinal tumours, who were operated at our hospital between November 1994 and March 2003 were obtained. The patients were asked to complete the Short Form 36 (SF-36), a generic quality of life outcome-assessment instrument, and the Western modification of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scale. Patients were asked to retrospectively rate their quality of life before the operation and to judge their present life quality.

Results: Out of 65 patients operated, 33 (51%) have returned the questionnaire. The mean SF-36 value improved from preoperatively 42±24 to 72±24 postoperatively (p<0.01). We could find a statistically significant improvement in all quality of life factors of the SF-36: Physical function: 48vs.71; Role-physical: 30vs.65; Bodily pain: 29vs.74; General health: 50vs.70; Vitality: 37vs.67; Social function: 58vs.83; Role-emotional: 42vs.75; Mental health: 50vs.80 (p<0.01). The mean preoperative JOA score was 12.6±2.3 and the mean of the postoperative JOA score was 14.1±3.4 points (p=0.01).

Conclusions: The surgical removal of an intradural tumour will in most patients improve the quality of life as measured with SF-36 and the neurological function as measured with the JOA scale.