Does health-related quality of life improve for patients after vestibular swannoma removal ?

Introduction The assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is becoming increasingly important in the care and treatment of patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS). The aim of the prospective study is to investigate whether HRQOL changes between the first visit in the outpatient clinic too directly postoperatively.

Material and method The prospective study includes n=22 patients on first visit and n=18 postoperative patients (discharge day) with fully completed PANQOL questionnaire. The VS comprise all tumor sizes (Koos I-IV) and were resected in the period 01/2019 to 11/2019 via a translabyrinthine (n=5) or retrosigmoidal (n=13) access by head and neck- and neurosurgeons.

Result The average PANQOL total score at first visit was 69.24/100 (9.82/100 - 86.9/100), directly postoperatively 71.69/100 (38.10/100 - 97.02/100). In the areas of anxiety (63.07/100 with first visit vs. 73.35/100 post-operative) and energy (71.4/100 with first visit vs. 81.94/100 post-operative), a clinically relevant improvement in quality of life was observed in the investigated collective after consideration of the "minimally clinically important difference" (MCID).

Conclusion and outlook All patients diagnosed with vestibular schwannoma show a reduced quality of life. In partial aspects of HRQOL a positive effect can be seen through the operative therapy. The individual complaints of the patients, which reduce the quality of life, must be identified and treated.

Poster-PDF A-1480.PDF

Publication History

Article published online:
10 June 2020