Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) improves dyspnoea, pulmonary function, and physical performance in patients with severe pulmonary emphysema. This study investigated the impact of LVRS on health-related quality of life (HRQL) over a 2-yr period following surgery.Thirty-nine consecutive patients were prospectively assessed before LVRS, and followed over 24 months postoperatively. The assessments included pulmonary function, dyspnoea (Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnoea score), 6-min walking distance (6MWD) and HRQL using the Short Form 36-item questionnaire (SF-36) .Several domains of SF-36 improved considerably over 2 yrs after surgery: Physical Functioning: 39 ¡ 4 (mean ¡ SEM) versus 16 ¡ 2 (pv0.01); Vitality: 51 ¡ 3 versus 32 ¡ 3 (pv0.01); Social Functioning: 72 ¡ 4 versus 51 ¡ 5 (pv0.01). Also, improvements in pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1): 27 ¡ 1% predicted, residual volume (RV)/total lung capacity (TLC): 0.65¡0.01), 6 MWD (274¡16 m) and dyspnoea (MRC: 3.9¡01) were sustained for up to 2 yrs after LVRS (FEV1 36¡2% pred, RV/TLC: 0.58¡0.02; 6 MWD: 342¡19 m; MRC: 2.0¡0.2; pv0.05).In patients with severe emphysema, lung volume reduction surgery had positive effects on health-related quality of life and pulmonary function over 2 yrs.

In this prospective clinical study, baseline data (FEV1 % pred, arterial oxygen tension (Pa,O 2 ), QOL, HS, dyspnoea, coping scales) were studied at entry (t1); follow-up on discharge (t2); and 1 yr after hospitalization (t3) in 54 consecutive patients (mean age 64 yrs) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Complete data were obtained at follow-up on 32 subjects. FEV1 % pred improved from 42% (t1) to 52% (t2) (p<0.001) but dropped to 46% at t3 (t1-t3: p<0.05). QOL improved significantly during hospitalization but dropped to initial levels 1 yr after discharge. A significant increase in health satisfaction during hospitalization was maintained at follow-up. Improvements in lung function were greater in patients with higher QOL scores on entry; subjects with the greatest tendency to use wishful thinking as a coping strategy had less improvement.In conclusion, the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation on lung function and health satisfaction are positive and enduring. Quality of life and coping have an effect on the long-term outcome of pulmonary rehabilitation, probably as expressions of patients' personality traits.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of hip arthroplasty followed by an inpatient rehabilitation. Moreover, the relationships among functional status, quality of life and satisfaction with life or health status were examined. Patients were assessed before hip arthroplasty, at the start and at the end of the inpatient rehabilitation. Functional status was measured by using the WOMAC questionnaire and quality of life with the Medical Outcome Survey Short Form 36 (SF-36). Satisfaction was determined with a specific questionnaire (FLZ). Hip arthroplasty followed by an inpatient rehabilitation resulted in significant and clinically highly important improvements of functional status, quality of life and satisfaction with health and life.

The present study, which is based on internationally accepted assessment tools for SLE patients, shows a significant relationship between increased disease activity and reduced physical function. This result emphasizes the importance of optimizing treatment aiming at reducing disease activity.

The wishes and needs of the spouses are considerably less taken into account within the exististing outpatient oncological medical treatment than those of the patients. As the spouses are heavily impacted by a psychological stress due their partners disease and the support duties, we require to ameliorate the assessment of the needs of relatives and to communicate better existing support programmes.