Quality of life assessment in esophageal atresia patients: a systematic review focusing on long-gap esophageal atresia

Sharman P Tan Tanny; Assia Comella; John M Hutson; Taher I Omari; Warwick J Teague; Sebastian K King

doi:10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2019.08.040

Quality of life assessment in esophageal atresia patients: a systematic review focusing on long-gap esophageal atresia

J Pediatr Surg. 2019 Dec;54(12):2473-2478. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2019.08.040. Epub 2019 Oct 5.

Authors

Sharman P Tan Tanny¹, Assia Comella², John M Hutson³, Taher I Omari⁴, Warwick J Teague³, Sebastian K King⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; F. Douglas Stephens Surgical Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Pediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: sharman.tantanny@rch.org.au.
² Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; F. Douglas Stephens Surgical Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; School of Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
³ Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; F. Douglas Stephens Surgical Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Pediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ Department of Human Physiology, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.
⁵ Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; F. Douglas Stephens Surgical Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Pediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

PMID: 31669125
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2019.08.040

Abstract

Background: Children born with esophageal atresia (EA) have inherent abnormalities in esophageal motility which may impact upon patient and family Quality of Life (QoL). Currently, paucity of data exists for long-term outcomes of long-gap EA. We aimed to: (1) summarize QoL tools reported in the literature, focusing upon studies involving long-gap EA patients, and (2) compare QoL for long-gap versus non-long-gap EA patients.

Method: We performed a systematic review of Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, EMBASE, and Ovid databases (January 1980-May 2018) in accordance with the PRISMA protocol.

Result: Six studies were identified (536 patients total), and 419/536 (78%) patients completed QoL assessment. Response rates ranged from 29% to 100%. Median study size was 86 (range 8-159). Esophageal atresia type was described in 477 patients, and 74/477 (16%) were long-gap. Common assessment tools were Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index and 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. Compared with healthy individuals, long-gap EA patients suffered more gastrointestinal symptoms. There were no significant differences in QoL outcomes between long-gap and non-long-gap EA patients.

Conclusion: Current literature suggests no significant difference in QoL outcomes between long-gap and non-long-gap EA patients. However, due to questionnaire variability and range of response rates, the data should be interpreted with care.

Level of evidence: Level II.

Keywords: Esophageal atresia; Long-gap; Quality of life; Systematic review.

Publication types

Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Esophageal Atresia / classification*
Esophageal Atresia / complications*
Humans
Quality of Life*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Tracheoesophageal Fistula