Short-term Quality Of Life After Laparoscopic Distal Gastrectomy In Gastric Cancer Patients

Aims:To investigate the short-term postoperative quality of life (QOL) in distant gastric cancer patients who received laproscopic radical gastrectomy, and to provide theoretical basis and guidance for postoperative nursing and health education in patients undertaking laproscopic distal gastrectomy.Methods:Fifty-two patients receiving laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for distant gastric cancer were surveyed using QLQ-C30(the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Cancer and QLQ-STO22(the site-specific module for gastric cancer). Scores of global health status, functional scales and symptom scales of QLQ-C30and scores of5multi-item indicators and4single-item indicators of QLQ-STO22were compared and analyzed using central measures, univariance and bivariance analysis.Results:1. QLQ-C30scores:Global health status in one month postoperative presented the lowest score when compared with that of one month preoperative, three and six month postoperative. No statistical significance (p>0.05) was found among preoperative score and those of one month and three months postoperative. Comparison of scores of six months after operation with preoperative scores showed statistically significant difference (p<0.05). Statistical significances (p<0.05) were also found among the scores of three months and six months after operation with that of one month after operation. Most of functional scales and symptom scales changed significantly at one month after operation and statistical significances (p<0.05) were found in comparison of scores of three months after operation and six months after operation with scores of one month after operation respectively.2. QLQ-STO22scores:Pain、reflux、thirst、body image received the highest scores(p<0.05)at six months postoperative and the significant changes were found at this point of time.3. The simple linear model was not established between demographic data and illness characteristics and global health status.Conclusions:1. QOL of Gastric cancer patients gradually improved as time goes by and scores of QOL basically returned to normal values at six months after operation. The level of general health condition of women is higher than that of men at three and six months postoperatively.2. Healthcare providers may implement nursing interventions and planned health education based on the characteristics of QOL at different postoperative points of time to improve the QOL levels of the patients.3. Age, family status, receiving chemotherapy or not, pathological classes could not explain the global health status.