The following is the summary of  “Longitudinal Changes in Quality of Life After Ureteroscopy for Nephrolithiasis” published in the December 2022 issue of Urology by Sperling, et al.

Since there is a dearth of prospective data on patient-reported outcomes following surgical intervention with ureteroscopy, it is important to evaluate the impact of this procedure on patients with nephrolithiasis by measuring changes in their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Between 2017 and 2020, a prospective sample of adults with renal or ureteral calculus undergoing URS was collected. Physical function, weariness, pain interference, depressive symptoms, anxiety, the ability to participate in social roles and activities, and sleep disturbance were measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System(PROMIS)-29 profile, which participants completed at enrolment, 1, 6, and 12 months. 

Each time point’s scorers were compared to the mean of the US population (50) using a one-sample Welch’s t-test, and the scores between each pairwise time point comparison were compared using a Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results are provided as T-scores (normalized to US-population). A total of 69 people filled out the PROMIS-29 questionnaire upon enrolment. Physical function, weariness, pain interference, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and sleep disturbance were all substantially different among participants at enrolment compared to the US-population mean (all P<.05), but social roles and activities were not. 

Pain interference (P<.01) and fatigue (P=.03) improved the most from the time of enrolment to the one-month mark. Except for depressive symptoms, all characteristics improved with time (pairwise comparisons, all P<.05). Improvements in PROMIS scores persist up to 12 months after URS for patients with nephrolithiasis, suggesting that the PROMIS-29 profile is sensitive to changes in HRQOL. Patients can be counseled using this data to set realistic goals for their time spent recovering.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0090429522007403