Association of Age and Surgical Technique with the Quality of Life of Male Patients Treated for Abdominal Aorta Aneurysms: A Cross-Sectional Study

Silvestra Barrena-Blázquez; Manuel Díez-Alonso; Luis Felipe Riera Del Moral; Salvador Sanchez-Coll; Melchor Alvarez-Mon; Miguel A Ortega; Fernando Ruiz-Grande

doi:10.3390/ijerph19116580

Association of Age and Surgical Technique with the Quality of Life of Male Patients Treated for Abdominal Aorta Aneurysms: A Cross-Sectional Study

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 28;19(11):6580. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19116580.

Authors

Silvestra Barrena-Blázquez¹, Manuel Díez-Alonso^{1

2}, Luis Felipe Riera Del Moral³, Salvador Sanchez-Coll³, Melchor Alvarez-Mon^{4

5

6}, Miguel A Ortega^{4

5}, Fernando Ruiz-Grande^{3

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of General Surgery, Príncipe de Asturias Hospital, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
² Department of Surgery, Medical and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
³ Department of Vascular Surgery, Nuestra Señora del Rosario Hospital, 28834 Madrid, Spain.
⁴ Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
⁵ Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain.
⁶ Immune System Diseases-Rheumatology and Internal Medicine Service, University Hospital Príncipe de Asturias, (CIBEREHD), 28806 Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
⁷ Department of Vascular Surgery, Príncesa Hospital, 28834 Madrid, Spain.

Abstract

Objectives: The achievement of a good health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has become one of the primary objectives of medical-surgical interventions. The objective of this study is to determine the HRQoL of patients who underwent abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) surgery and to analyse the influence of age on HRQoL.

Materials and methods: This is an observational cross-sectional study with 151 male patients who underwent an operation for AAAs between January 2013 and December 2020 in two hospital centres. HRQoL was assessed with the Spanish version of the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36), starting in the month following the surgical intervention. Statistical analyses were performed using hypothesis tests and multivariate linear regression.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 73 years (SD: 7), and the mean interval between surgery and the interview was 37 months (SD: 27). The scores of the Physical Function (p = 0.001), Vitality (p = 0.016), Social Function (p = 0.014), and Mental Health (p = 0.007) dimensions of the SF-36 were significantly lower in the older age groups. In addition, the scores on the Physical Summary Component (p = 0.003) and the Mental Summary Component (p = 0.026) were significantly lower among individuals older than 70 years of age. The HRQoL in patients who underwent operations for AAAs was similar to that reported in the general population of Spain. Patients with an aorto-aortic shunt had better scores on the Physical Function (Beta: 10; p = 0.014) and Mental Health (Beta: 8.12; p = 0.040) dimensions than those who had an aorto-bi-iliac or bifemoral shunt, regardless of the age of the patients at operation.

Conclusion: Among patients who underwent an operation for an AAA, there was a negative association between the age at operation and scores on the Physical Function, Vitality, Social Function, and Mental Health dimensions of the SF-36. The type of surgical technique influences the evolution of Physical Function and Mental Health scores, regardless of age.

Keywords: EVAR; SF-36; abdominal aortic aneurysm; age; health-related quality of life; open abdominal repair.

Publication types

Observational Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Aorta, Abdominal
Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal* / etiology
Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal* / surgery
Cross-Sectional Studies
Endovascular Procedures* / adverse effects
Endovascular Procedures* / methods
Humans
Male
Quality of Life
Treatment Outcome

Grants and funding

This study (PI21/001244) was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Plan Estatal de I + D + I 2013–2016) and co-financed by the European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe” (ERDF) and B2017/BMD-3804 MITIC-CM, B2020/MITICAD-CM and Halekulani S.L.