Postoperative health-related quality of life in children with congenital heart disease: a short-term follow-up study

Abstract

Abstract Objective This study aimed to explore changes in health-related quality of life in children with congenital heart disease from pre-surgery to 6 months after surgery. Methods A total of 87 children aged 2–12 years who underwent cardiac surgery in a provincial hospital in China from January 2021 to June 2021 were selected. After 6 months, the quality of life of all children was retrospectively analyzed. The Chinese version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 Scale was used to assess the quality of life of children before and after surgery. Results Parents of 85 children and 33 children aged 5–12 years completed the questionnaires. After surgical treatment, the quality of life scores reported by parents of children of all ages were significantly higher than those before surgery, the P value < 0.05; the self-evaluated quality of life scores of children of different ages were significantly higher than those before surgery, the P value < 0.05. Conclusion Surgical treatment can improve the health-related quality of life of children with congenital heart disease.