Evaluation of the quality of recovery and the postoperative health status after elective surgery

PURPOSE: Postoperative recovery is a complex process with physiologic, functional, and psychologic dimensions. Postoperative quality of recovery is considered as a crucial outcome following surgery and anesthesia. The objective of this study was to assess and compare the quality of postoperative recovery and health status before and after surgery, in patients undergoing elective surgery. METHODS: This observational, prospective study was conducted on patients proposed for elective surgery. Evaluation of postoperative recovery was performed using the Postoperative Quality of Recovery Scale and health status was assessed by applying the EuroQol assessing problems in five dimensions: mobility, personal care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression, and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0. Poor quality of recovery was defined as recovery in fewer than two domains at postoperative Day 1 in the Postoperative Quality of Recovery Scale. RESULTS: Before surgery (D0), patients with poor quality of recovery had median Visual Analog Scale scores in EuroQol similar to those of patients without poor quality of recovery, but they had more problems in the mobility, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression dimensions. At 3 months after surgery, patients with poor quality of recovery had median Visual Analog Scale scores in EuroQol similar to those of patients without poor quality of recovery, but they maintained more problems in the pain/discomfort dimension. Patients with poor quality of recovery scored significantly higher on the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 scale at baseline, although the results were similar at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with poor quality of recovery had the worst health status at D0. Evaluation at 3 months indicated similar rates of problems in EuroQol (except for pain/discomfort) and World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 scores were similar.