Article Text
Abstract
Introduction There is a paucity of data directly comparing health related quality of life (HRQL) between laparoscopic and open oesophagogastric resections. This study aims to evaluate differences between these groups in the early postoperative period.
Methods The European Organisation for Research and Treatment Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-30) was administered to 34 patients preoperatively, and 1 month following laparoscopic gastrectomy (n=6), open gastrectomy (n=8), open two-phase oesophagectomy (n=7), and two-phase oesophagectomy with laparoscopic gastric mobilisation (n=13). Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare HRQL between open and laparoscopic resections, and related sample Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to compare 1 month and preoperative HRQL.
Results There was no significant difference in median preoperative functional and global HRQL between both the open and laparoscopic gastrectomy groups (10 vs 11, p=0.41; 11 vs 11, p=1.00), and between the open and laparoscopic-assisted oesophagectomy groups (18 vs 11, p=0.18; 10 vs 11, p=0.70). Functional HRQL worsened significantly at 1 month with both open gastrectomy (18 vs 10, p=0.01) and open oesophagectomy (18 vs 11, p=0.02), but not with laparoscopic gastrectomy (15 vs 11, p=0.11) and laparoscopic assisted-oesophagectomy (15 vs 18, p=0.81). Global HRQL was significantly worse at 1 month with open gastrectomy (7 vs 11, p=0.04), but not in the other groups. Global HRQL was also found to be significantly higher at 1 month in the laparoscopic assisted oesophagectomy group compared with open oesophagectomy (10 vs 8, p=0.03).
Conclusion These results demonstrate significant differences in HRQL between open and laparoscopic oesophagogastric resections even at 1 month, which may indicate that the laparoscopic approach is associated with faster postoperative recovery.
Competing interests None declared.