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EQ-5D-5L questionnaire as suitable assessment of quality of life after epiduroscopy

Multicenter randomized double-blind pilot study

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Summary

Background

Epiduroscopy is a well-established diagnostic and to certain level therapeutic tool in complex situations, where conventional methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lack power or resolution to detect pathological changes. Such a situation is primarily failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) but also radicular pain without surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of epiduroscopic treatment in patients with FBSS.

Methods

A total of 79 patients with FBSS were randomized into 2 groups. The first group underwent epiduroscopy and received mechanical lysis of adhesions only, the second group received also medication into the epidural space (methylprednisolone and hyaluronidase). Patients were subsequently followed for 12 months, with evaluation also after 6 months post-epiduroscopy. Patients were checked in terms of mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression as defined in the 5‑dimensional EQ-5D-5L questionnaire and to asses suitability of this questionnaire in chronic pain states. Data were collected using EQ-5D-5L questionnaire and also quality of life (QoL) questionnaire.

Results

In the terms of ability to walk (dimension mobility) and also ability to do housework, study or leisure activities (dimension usual activity) patients improved in both groups after 6 and 12 months after epiduroscopy. In pain dimension there was improvement mainly after 6 months which correlated also with self-care dimension and quality of life self-assessment. Results in anxiety/depression dimension were mixed.

Conclusion

Epiduroscopy appears to be a beneficial procedure for both patient groups, especially after 6 months, with some benefit remaining after 12 months. The EQ-5D-5L questionnaire seems to be a suitable and comprehensive way to assess patient health in chronic pain states.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Europainclinics, Kominárska 21/5, 831 04, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Róbert Rapčan, Martin Griger & Ľubomír Poliak

  2. Clinic of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, East Slovak Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Ondavská 8, 040 11, Košice, Slovakia

    Ladislav Kočan

  3. Institute of Measurement Science, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 841 04, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Viktor Witkovsky

  4. Poliklinika Terasa, Europainclinics, Toryská 1, 040 11, Košice, Slovakia

    Juraj Mláka

  5. Department of Cardiac Surgery, East Slovak Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Ondavská 8, 040 11, Košice, Slovakia

    Róbert Tirpák & František Sabol

  6. Europainclinics, Starochodovská 1750, 149 00, Prague 4, Czech Republic

    Róbert Rapčan, Miroslav Burianek & Simona Rapčanová

  7. Kent Institute of Medicine and Surgery, Newnham Court Way, ME14 5FT, Bearsted, Kent, UK

    Anthony Hammond

  8. 1st Clinic of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Louis Pasteur University Hospital, SNP 1, 040 11, Košice, Slovakia

    Jana Šimonová

  9. Department of Medical and Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Trieda SNP 1, 040 66, Košice, Slovakia

    Janka Vašková Ph.D.

  10. Europainclinics, Štefánikova 1599/82, 085 01, Bardejov, Slovakia

    Róbert Rapčan

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  1. Róbert Rapčan
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  7. Simona Rapčanová
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  9. Ľubomír Poliak
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Janka Vašková Ph.D..

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Conflict of interest

R. Rapčan, L. Kočan, V. Witkovsky, J. Mláka, M. Griger, M. Burianek, S. Rapčanová, A. Hammond, Ľ. Poliak, R. Tirpák, J. Šimonová, F. Sabol, and J. Vašková declare that they have no competing interests.

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Rapčan, R., Kočan, L., Witkovsky, V. et al. EQ-5D-5L questionnaire as suitable assessment of quality of life after epiduroscopy. Wien Klin Wochenschr 132, 526–534 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-019-01590-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-019-01590-z

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