Health-Related Quality of Life after Hysterectomy for Endometrial Cancer: The Impact of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Shifting Paradigm

Abstract

<b><i>Objectives:</i></b> Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols provide well-known benefits in the immediate recovery with a shorter length of stay (LOS) and also in gynecological surgery. However, the impact of ERAS has not been clearly showed yet regarding long-term consequences and health-related quality of life (HRQL). The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of ERAS on HRQL after hysterectomy for endometrial cancer. <b><i>Design:</i></b> An observational retrospective study with propensity score matching (PSM) was performed. <b><i>Participants:</i></b> We administered the SF-36 validated questionnaire to women underwent hysterectomy and lymph nodal staging before and after introducing ERAS protocol, getting, respectively, a standard practice (SP) and ERAS group. <b><i>Settings:</i></b> The study was conducted at the academic hospital. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We collected demographic, clinical, surgical and postoperative data and performed a PSM of the baseline confounders. We administered the questionnaire 4 weeks after the surgery. The SF-36 measures HRQL using eight scales: physical functioning (PF), role physical (RLP), bodily pain (BP), general health (GH), vitality (Vt), social functioning (SF), role emotional (RLE) and mental health (MH). <b><i>Results:</i></b> After PSM, we enrolled a total of 154 patients, 77 in each group (SP and ERA). The two groups were similar in terms of age, BMI, anesthetic risk, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and surgical technique (minimally invasive vs. open access). Median LOS was shorter for ERAS group (5 vs. 3 days; <i>p</i> = 0.02), while no significant differences were registered in the rates of postoperative complications (16.9% vs. 17.4%; <i>p</i> = 0.66). Response rates to SF-36 questionnaire were 89% and 92%, respectively, in SP and ERAS group. At multivariate analyzes, the mean scores of SF-36 questionnaire, registered at 28 days weeks after surgery (range 26–32 days), were significantly higher in ERAS group for PF (73.3 vs. 91.6; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.00), RLP (median 58.3 vs. 81.2; <i>p</i> = 0.02), and SF (37.5 vs. 58.3; <i>p</i> = 0.01) domains, when compared to SP patients. <b><i>Limitations:</i></b> Further follow-up was not possible due to the anonymized data derived from clinical audit. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> ERAS significantly increases the HRQL of women who underwent surgery for endometrial cancer. HRQL assessment should be routinely implemented in the ERAS protocol.