Quality of Life after Hepatectomy

Kensuke Nuruki, Gen Tanabe, Shinrou Yoshidome, Yoshito Ogura, Shinnichi Ueno, Koichi Kurita, Takashi Aikou

First Department of Surgery, Kagoshima University

This study was undertaken to determine the quality of life (QOL) after hepatectomy and its relation. ship to clinical factors and the change of liver function tests. Seventy-one patients who received hepatectomy between 1980 and 1993 at Kagoshima University Hospital and survived more than 3 months answered our original questionnaire including 16 items about the QOL. The results of principal factor analysis indicated the validity of our questionnaire. The QOL after hepatectomy was relatively satisfactory in physical condition and mental state, but not in social function and physical sensation. Age at hepatectomy, malignancy of the disease, time after hepatectomy, the occurrence of postoperative complications, and the deterioration of the hepaplastin test were significantly relevant to the QOL after hepatectomy. In conclusion, it was suggested that preventing postoperative complications and the maintenance of protein synthesis are important to provide a satisfactory QOL after hepatectomy.

Key words
quality of life, quality of life after hepatectomy, complication after hepatectomy

Reprint requests
Kensuke Nuruki First Department of Surgery, Kagoshima University School of Medicine
8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890 JAPAN

Accepted
March 8, 1995

To read the PDF file you will need Abobe Reader installed on your computer.