Life of women after hysterectomy

Abstract

sociálnych vied a zdravotníctva 2 FN v Nitre, Gynekologicko-pôrodnícka klinika Summary The quality of life of an individual is very tightly related to the health condition. Hysterectomy is an invasive intervention in the woman body. It brings changes in the life and requirements for important and necessary adaptations. The contribution presented here describes the quality of life of women submitted to hysterectomy. Its target was evaluation and comparison of the quality of life of women with benign and malignant diseases after hysterectomy, consideration and evaluation of differences in the assessment of the quality of life in the physical, mental and social areas and in the surrounding environment. The sample included 100 women, 50% of them having benign diseases and 50% malignant diseases or positive histological finding after surgery, who were submitted to oncology treatment. The method of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was employed to investigate the extent to which the quality of life is affected by the disease itself compared to other factors. The results of the assessment of the quality of life of respondents were processed in two groups, which were separately evaluated and compared one to another. The analysis of the results supported the fact that the patients after hysterectomy most strongly feel a deficiency in satisfaction of their needs in physical and mental areas and to a lesser extent in the field of social relationships and surrounding environment. In the physical area, we noted statistically significant differences with the test statistics value t = 7.40 and significance level p<0.001. In the mental area, the analysis of responses demonstrated statistically significant differences with the test statistics value t = 2.87 and significance level p = 0.008. In the field of the evaluation of social relationships and surrounding environment, we observed no statistically significant differences. By a comparison of results, we concluded that the reasons for which the hysterectomy was carried out (malignant and benign diseases) affect more considerably the quality of life of patients after hysterectomy compared to the age, degree of education or family conditions.