Quality of life after surgical treatment of thyroid gland diseases

Wojewoda B, Juzwiszyn J, Rosińczuk-Tonderys J

Purpose: The aim of the work is to rate different factors specifying quality of life after surgical treatment of thyroid gland diseases.
Material and methods: Research was carried out on 93 people with recognition of nodular goitre treated surgically during the period 2000-2003 in 2nd Department of General and Oncological Surgery in Wrocaw. 83 women and 10 men aged approximately 48 took part in the research. The research was carried out with a help of analysis of medical documentation as well as QL questionnaire including 25 features (clinical, emotional, social). 
The results of the QL research were prepared on the basis of “SyntMed” Computer Medical Diagnostics programme (Krefft method). Every patient was given a certain QL quantity in the 0-1 range together with the importance of diagnostic features, indicating the strength of influence of the feature on QL quantity. 
Results: The strongest influence on QL index had the following diagnostic features: subjective opinion of the quality of life (0.674), sensation of fear in connection with the health condition (0.631), physical efficiency (0.565). Among clinical features the strongest influence had a feeling of palpitation (0.405).
It was certified that together with the extension of the post-operation period medium value of QL index increases. 
The most frequent clinical problems mentioned by the tested patients were: sleeping disorder (66.6%), nervousness (37.6%), sweating (36.5%), palpitation (24.7%).
36.6% of the tested patients are afraid of a setback and 77.4 % of them are worried about their health condition. The treatment did not have an influence on planning the future, sexuality and social life. 59.1 % of the tested patients defined their present health condition as satisfactory.