The Quality of Life after Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty due to Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction: Assessment After Long Term Observation.

Abstract Background: A change in the assessment of treatment effectiveness is currently observed. More and more emphasis is being placed on assessing the impact of treatment on patients’ quality of life (QoL). Data on postoperative quality of life in patients undergoing pyeloplasty is scarce. The aim of the study was to assess the quality of life of patients who had undergone laparoscopic pyeloplasty due to ureteropelvic junction obstruction.Methods: The study group consisted of 95 patients who had consecutively undergone laparoscopic pyeloplasty due to ureteropelvic junction obstruction in a single center, between 2002 and 2009, from whom 26 consented to participate in a study. We evaluated their quality of life using WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire and an additional form, created by one of the authors, prepared to assess specifically health related quality of life after pyeloplasty. In all the patients, postoperative, functional outcome was assessed using diuretic renography. Results: Mean follow-up time was 89.8 months. Overall, 96% of study patients were satisfied with the procedure and all of them would consent to another pyeloplasty if needed. Dissatisfaction of one patient was caused by an insufficient decrease in pain level. All the patients reported that the postoperative pain intensity did not significantly affect their life and professional activity. Conclusions: Laparoscopic pyeloplasty is associated with excellent functional outcomes and - most of all - the majority of patients are satisfied with the treatment results. There seems to be no correlation between functional outcome and postoperative satisfaction.