Areas of concern, quality of life and life satisfaction in patients with peripheral vascular disease.

OBJECTIVES to explore the ways in which peripheral vascular disease subjectively affect patients and to relate these findings to validated measurements of quality of life (QOL) and life satisfaction. DESIGN a cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS eighty patients, with carotid artery stenosis (CAS), abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), intermittent claudication (IC) or critical limb ischaemia (CLI). METHODS semi-structured interviews were used to explore the effect of the disease on the patients life situation. QOL was assessed by SF-36 and life satisfaction by LiSat-11. RESULTS the SF36, LiSat-11 and our interview revealed two principal patterns: one for patients with CAS and AAA, and one for patients with IC and CLI. The interview revealed important areas affecting the vascular patient. Some of these areas: higher intellectual function, concern, sexual function, family concern and factors related to the operated areas were not covered by either the SF36 or the LiSat-11. CONCLUSIONS for a full understanding of how peripheral vascular disease affects the individual, disease specific questions need to be added to generic QOL instruments and measurements of life satisfaction.