Arzu Canmemiş, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Göztepe Prof. Dr Süleyman Yalcin City Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Ali I. Dokucu, Department of Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Urology, Cemil Taşçıoğlu Research and Training Hospital. Istanbul, Turkey
Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the additional contribution of the Mitrofanoff channel to health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods: Between 2005 and 2009, we conducted a retrospective study on 10 pediatric patients who underwent Mitrofanoff surgery for neurogenic bladder and 11 control patients using urethral catheterization. We evaluated HRQoL using questionnaires tailored for various age groups, with higher scores indicating better QoL. Results: The mean age in the patient group was 12.8 years and 10.7 years in the control group (p = 0.103). Shunt use and wheelchair dependency were similar between groups (p = 0.217 and p = 0.505, respectively). Diaper use showed no significant difference (p = 0.256). Notably, 50% of the patient group performed self-catheterization compared to 9.1% in the control group, a significant difference (p = 0.038). Prophylaxis application was significantly higher in the control group (p = 0.049). HRQoL scores were not significantly different between surgery and control groups in children (p = 0.251) and adolescents (p = 0.831), with Cronbach’s α values indicating high reliability of the HRQoL scale. Conclusions: Although the procedure shows potential in enhancing independence, particularly in self-catheterization, the impact on overall HRQoL is not significantly different from the control group.
Keywords: Mitrofanoff. Quality of life. Neurogenic bladders. Urinary system reconstruction.