Innov Surg Sci

. 2022 Jan 7;6(4):151-160.

 doi: 10.1515/iss-2021-0019. eCollection 2021 Dec 1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35937850/

Need for transition medicine in pediatric surgery – health related quality of life in adolescents and young adults with congenital malformations

Marie Uecker ¹, Benno Ure ¹, Julia Hannah Quitmann ², Jens Dingemann ¹

Affiliations expand

• PMID: 35937850
• PMCID: PMC9294337
• DOI: 10.1515/iss-2021-0019

Free PMC article

Abstract

Survival rates of patients with visceral congenital malformations have increased considerably. However, long-term morbidity in these patients is high. In the last decades, these circumstances have led to a shift in goals of caretakers and researchers with a new focus on patients’ perspectives and long-term morbidity. Health-related quality of life (HrQoL) is the most commonly used patient-reported outcome measure to assess the impact of chronic symptoms on patients’ everyday lives. Most pediatric surgical conditions can cause a significantly decreased HrQoL in affected patients compared to the healthy population. In order to guarantee life-long care and to minimize the impact on HrQoL a regular interdisciplinary follow-up is obligatory. The period of transition from child-centered to adult-oriented medicine represents a critical phase in the long-term care of these complex patients. This scoping review aims to summarize relevant pediatric surgical conditions focusing on long-term-morbidity and HrQoL assessment in order to demonstrate the necessity for a well-structured and standardized transition for pediatric surgical patients.

Keywords: Hirschsprung’s disease; anorectal malformations; biliary atresia; coledochal cyst; congenital diaphragmatic hernia; esophageal atresia; health-related quality of life; transition medicine.

© 2021 Marie Uecker et al., published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston.