Background: Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) are an important metric in the assessment of outcomes following elective treatments such as epilepsy surgery. The Epilepsy Surgery Satisfaction Questionnaire (ESSQ-19) is a new (2020), valid, and reliable measure of patient satisfaction that provides measures of satisfaction in multiple domains. This study examined preoperative psychiatric predictors of ESSQ-19 scores.
Methods: All patients who underwent epilepsy surgery at our center in the decade between January 2010 and 2020 and who were at least one year out from surgery were invited to complete the ESSQ-19 (n = 284).
Results: Responses were received from 29% of the sample. Non responders did not differ from responders in age, type of surgery, sex, or seizure outcome, but had a lower Verbal Comprehension Index score. Reported satisfaction rates were high in each ESSQ-19 domain (Seizure control, mean = 83.9; Psychosocial function, mean = 72.4; Surgical Complications, mean = 86.4; Recovery from surgery, mean = 77.4; Overall satisfaction, mean = 80.8) and broadly comparable to those reported in the original validation sample for the ESSQ-19. Preoperative levels of anxiety predicted postoperative satisfaction with recovery from surgery and psychosocial outcomes, with high levels of preoperative anxiety associated with higher levels of dissatisfaction in both sub domains.
Conclusions: Satisfaction with some aspects of postoperative outcome is not just dependent upon postoperative factors, but can be predicted from preoperative levels of anxiety. Clinicians offering preoperative counseling and preparation with respect to patients' expectations of surgical outcome should be cognizant of the possible impact of anxiety on postoperative satisfaction, particularly with respect to psychosocial function.
Keywords: Anxiety; Epilepsy surgery; Outcome; Patient-reported-outcome-measures; Satisfaction.
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