Impact of radiofrequency ablation on health-related quality of life in patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia compared with a norm population one year after treatment

• Published in: Heart & lung 2011-09, Vol.40 (5), p.405-411
• Main Authors: Walfridsson, Ulla, RN, Walfridsson, Håkan, MD, PhD, Årestedt, Kristofer, RN, PhD, Strömberg, Anna, RN, PhD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Age Factors; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents - therapeutic use; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiovascular; Catheter Ablation; Confidence Intervals; Critical Care; Female; Health and Caring Sciences; Health Status Indicators; Health-Related quality of life; Humans; Hälsovetenskap; Impact analysis; Male; Matched reference group; Medical procedures; Medical treatment; MEDICIN; MEDICINE; Middle Aged; Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia; Psychometrics; Pulmonary/Respiratory; Quality of life; Quality of Life - psychology; Radiofrequency ablation; Sex Factors; Stress, Psychological; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tachycardia, Paroxysmal - drug therapy; Tachycardia, Paroxysmal - psychology; Tachycardia, Paroxysmal - surgery; Tachycardia, Supraventricular - drug therapy; Tachycardia, Supraventricular - psychology; Tachycardia, Supraventricular - surgery; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0147-9563; 1527-3288; 1527-3288
• DOI: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2010.09.004

Abstract Objective This study evaluated the impact of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). Methods HRQOL was assessed with the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) and EuroQol (EQ)-5D at baseline and 3 and 12 months after RFA. At 12 months, the patients were compared with an age- and gender-matched reference group. Results Patients showed a marked improvement in all the SF-36’s scales at 3 months after treatment compared with baseline. Patients scored higher in all scales in the SF-36 but not in the EQ-5D’s index at 12 months compared with baseline. No further improvements were detected from 3 to 12 months follow-up. Twelve months after treatment, patients scored equal to the reference group in the SF-36 and EQ-5D index, indicating a complete restoration of the HRQOL after RFA. Conclusion PSVT is a condition with a pronounced impact on HRQOL. At 12 months follow-up after RFA, patients’ HRQOL scores were similar to those of the age- and gender-matched reference group.