Assessing quality of life in patients undergoing emergency laparotomy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessing quality of life in patients undergoing emergency laparotomy
IRAS ID
333130
Contact name
Candice Downey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 1 days
Research summary
Emergency surgery is high-risk, and none more so than emergency laparotomy. This operation involves opening the abdomen to allow the surgeon to view and repair the organs inside. One-in-ten patients die after the surgery, and its complications can have long term negative effects on patients’ quality of life. It is important that the right decisions are made to reduce these effects.
One way of finding out which decisions are the most helpful for patients is to measure their quality of life before and after surgery. The decisions which lead to better quality of life can then be chosen for future patients. In the NHS, quality of life information is weighed up against the costs of treatments. At the moment, there is not enough information about quality of life or costs to allow us to make decisions about how to prevent and treat complications after emergency laparotomy.
The aim of this project is to find out whether it is possible to collect certain information about patients who are having emergency laparotomy: quality of life (before and after surgery), types of complications, and costs of treatment. The researcher will also interview patients to find out their views about how best to measure quality of life.
The results will help to design a much larger national study. This will help doctors and patients to make the best decisions, allow the NHS choose the best possible treatments and equipment, and improve the results for all patients having emergency surgery in the future.
REC name
South Central - Oxford A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/SC/0042
Date of REC Opinion
11 Mar 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion