Assessment of the quality of life before and after the onset of meningioma surgical resection

Abstract

Evaluation of the quality of life before and after the development at three, six and twelve months intervals 
from meningioma resection was considered. A prospective study was carried out with 29 patients carrying 
benign meningioma, whose ages ranged from 28 to 76 years old. In order to evaluate the quality of life, two 
instruments were used: the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and the Innsbruck Health Dimensions 
Questionnaire for Neurosurgical Patients (IHD-NS). Meaningful differences were found between the NHP and 
the IHD-NS total score, when comparing the evaluations before and after intervention. A significant 
improvement in pain, emotional reaction, physical ability, sleepiness, communication, physical condition, 
independence and the psychological condition domains was noticed. It was possible to observe that patients 
who had meningiomas in the left hemisphere have shown higher symptomatology, but those were also the 
ones who have shown significant reduction of the symptoms after the surgical intervention. Patients who 
undertook surgical intervention for the meningioma resection presented a significant improvement in their 
quality of life. A meaningful improvement took place up to the first three months. There was then a tendency 
to stabilize between three to six months (because of a rise in the Emotional Reactions Domain) and thereafter 
there was a reduction in new symptom taking place up to twelve months from intervention. Taking this study 
into to consideration it seems beneficial to recommend psychotherapy intervention after three months from 
surgery.