Health-Related Quality of Life of Pediatric Spinal Surgery Complications

Background: Health-related quality of life (utility) measures are essential components of effectiveness analyses. The health-related quality of life of health states in pediatric patients who underwent spinal surgery have not been reported previously. Objectives: To estimate the utility of complications after spinal surgeries and side effects of acetazolamide administration. Methods: Parent caregivers, nurses, neurosurgeons, and orthopedists were interviewed as proxies to evaluate the preference of health conditions in pediatric patients who underwent intradural surgeries. We measured the utility of spinal surgery complications (cerebrospinal fluid leakage and collection, wound dehiscence, operation site infection, and secondary repair of operation site), side effects of acetazolamide administration (loss of appetite, mild gastroenteritis, and severe acid/base and/or electrolyte imbalance), taking pills (for 10 days, 1 month, and 1 year), and 24 hours of ward or intensive care unit admission by visual analogue scale. Results: One hundred individuals were interviewed (pilot study: 20 individuals; main study: 40 parents, 27 nurses, 8 neurosurgeons, and 5 orthopedists). Sixty-four (80%) of the respondents were female. Taking pills for 10 days had the highest utility value (0.71 ± 0.13), whereas secondary surgical repair of the operation site and acid/base and/or electrolyte imbalance had the lowest preference (0.19 ± 0.16 and 0.23 ± 0.11, respectively). Conclusions: This study provides the utility measures for quality assessment of temporary postsurgical events in pediatric patients.