gms | German Medical Science

55. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e. V. (DGNC)
1. Joint Meeting mit der Ungarischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC) e. V.

25. bis 28.04.2004, Köln

Analysis of postoperative quality of life after operative treatment of intracranial tumors

Analyse der postoperativen Lebensqualität nach postoperativer Behandlung von intrakraniellen Tumoren

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author Axel Goldammer - Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie der Universität Leipzig AÖR, Leipzig
  • A. Frommhold - Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie der Universität Leipzig AÖR, Leipzig
  • J. Helm - Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie der Universität Leipzig AÖR, Leipzig
  • H.-E. Vitzthum - Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurochirurgie der Universität Leipzig AÖR, Leipzig

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Ungarische Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 55. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e.V. (DGNC), 1. Joint Meeting mit der Ungarischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Köln, 25.-28.04.2004. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2004. DocP 06.66

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dgnc2004/04dgnc0349.shtml

Published: April 23, 2004

© 2004 Goldammer et al.
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Outline

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Objective

Quality of life of the patient is increasingly regarded to be an important factor for the success of medical treatment. In addition to scores that measure physical wellbeing in every day life, psychological and social contentment have to be included in the study using appropriate parameters.

Methods

Clinical data (Karnowsky Index, socio-demographic data, neurological deficits, tumor grading, complications) of 100 patients suffering from intracranial tumors were documented pre-operatively and around 6 weeks after the operation. Three questionnaires (Frankfurter Fragebogen zur Krankheitsverarbeitung, FKV-LIS, Muthny, 1989; Fragebogen zum Alltagsleben, Bullinger, 1993; Social Support Scale, SSS, Kirchberger, 1982) were used. Self-assessment of patients were correlated with the clinical data using analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results

There was no obvious influence of the operation procedure on Karnowsky-Index. Assimilation of disease was significantly influenced by postoperative neurological deficits and WHO-grading of the tumors. Patients with neurological deficits tend to religiousness and search for a deeper meaning in life. Patients suffering from WHO II –tumors are prone to depression. Every day living and social life are restricted post-operatively in patients with psychopathological symptoms. There is no influence of clinical data on these two sectors of quality of life. Patients with malignant tumors judge their quality of life to be better than it objectively is.

Conclusions

Apart from assessment by the doctor, self-assessment with standardised questionnaires is an important part of objectivisation of post-operative quality of life and serves to evaluate therapeutic results after operation of an intracranial tumor.