The amputation of the lower limb is a crippling procedure, which impairs both physical and mental aspect of the patient's life and therefore, it is important to provide these patients with comprehensive health care. Patients and their families must change their lives and reorganize them, which is undoubtedly associated with a decrease in the quality of life. The aim of this study was to analyze various determinants of quality of life in patients after lower limb amputation and their impact on the physical, mental and social aspect of life. Based on the available literature, this paper discusses certain factors determining quality of life, including the presence of phantom pain and stump pain, the way patients move, independence in daily activity, occupational activity, and access to rehabilitation. Analysis of the impact of particular factors on quality of life in people after lower limb amputation may contribute to the improvement and introduction of new paradigms regarding care provided for amputees.
BackgroundPain is one of the factors that decrease quality of life. Undergoing surgery is inevitably associated with the sensation of pain, which can affect a patient’s level of acceptance of an illness. The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of acceptance of illness in patients undergoing surgical treatment with relation to the pain perceived by them during surgical treatment and to determine other factors that affect adaptation to illness among patients subjected to invasive treatment.Material and methodsThe study was conducted on a group of 100 patients with mean age of 51.27 (SD=18.98) hospitalized in surgery departments in the Provincial Specialist Hospital in Wrocław, Poland, in April 2016. The Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain were used.ResultsThe mean score of VAS was 3.86 (SD =2.02). The mean score of AIS was 24.42 (SD =7.35). The level of acceptance of illness was significantly negatively correlated with the intensity of pain (p<0.001; r=−0.498), the number of coexisting diseases (p=0.002; r=−0.31), age (p<0.001; r=−0.391), and the period of time since the operation (p=0.007; r=−0.266). Patients taking analgesics showed a significantly lower acceptance of illness than those who did not (p=0.009). A patient’s place of living, education, and sex had no significant impact on their acceptance of illness.ConclusionA higher level of pain translates into a lower adaptation to illness despite the use of analgesics, which may indicate that inadequate pain control leads to a decrease in the acceptance of illness. Further research on monitoring postoperative pain, as well as the development of postoperative prevention programs, is required.
IntroductionOne of the most severe complications after TEVAR is ischemic stroke and spinal cord ischemia (SCI) resulting in severe disability. These complications can be fatal up to 30% of cases, so it is very important to define risk factors associated with the occurrence of such events. The aim of this study was to define the causes and risk factors associated with the occurrence of neurological complications in patients after TEVAR.Materials and methodsWe performed a retrospective analysis of 51 patients undergoing TEVAR in the Department of Vascular Surgery of Military Teaching Hospital in Wroclaw between 2014 and 2017. In 18 patients LSA coverage was managed without revascularization (35.29%), and in 33 patients LSA remained uncovered (64.71%).ResultsWe did not find any statistically significant difference in the incidence of stroke and spinal cord ischemia in patients with covered and uncovered LSA (stroke p = 0.37, SCI p = 0.58). In the group of patients with covered and uncovered LSA, we did not find any significant differences in the incidence of additional comorbidities such as obesity, ischemic heart disease, hypertension or previous stroke.ConclusionsThere is no difference in stroke and SCI occurrence between patients with covered and uncovered LSA. Although there are many studies analysing the risk of such complications, there is no specific consensus regarding the treatment of LSA coverage. Randomised clinical trials on a large group of patients are still needed.
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