ArticleBMC public health2007
Waiting for elective general surgery: impact on health related quality of life and psychosocial consequences.
Article in BMC public health, 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05930756 (A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Efficacy of a Three-Point Versus a Six-Point Genicular Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation for Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis), which is not on this map. Cited by 68 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Efficacy of a Three-Point Versus a Six-Point Genicular Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation for Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis
Who cites it
68 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 147 citations in OpenAlex.
- Elective Surgery in Adult Patients with Excess Weight: Can Preoperative Dietary Interventions Improve Surgical Outcomes? A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2021Pooled it
- Delay to elective colorectal cancer surgery and implications for survival: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Colorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland · 2021Pooled it
- Quality of life change in elderly patients undergoing open inguinal hernia repair.Hernia : the journal of hernias and abdominal wall surgery · 2013Trial
- Waiting time for surgery and health-related quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.International journal of colorectal disease · 2026Article
- Improving operating room turnover efficiency with a real-time workflow coordination software in adult degenerative spine surgery.Journal of spine surgery (Hong Kong) · 2026Article
- Preoperative physical exercise training for people scheduled for major abdominal surgery.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2026Article
- Systematic literature review on biopsychosocial factors in the surgical waiting list.Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2026Review
- Regulatory compliance of mental healthcare professionals: determinants of reporting waiting time data.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Mapping strategies for reducing inequalities in adult elective surgical care in the United Kingdom: a living scoping review.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- The feasibility of implementing and evaluating individualised digital prehabilitation prior to major elective surgery in adults aged ≥ 50 years: the PreActiv intervention.Perioperative medicine (London, England) · 2026Article
- Observational
- Robotic high-intensity theater as a means to improve efficiency by increasing operative throughput: a retrospective analysis of a high-volume robotic center in the UK.Journal of robotic surgery · 2025Article
- The Cost Effectiveness of Elective Surgical Procedures with Longer NHS Waiting Lists: A Targeted Review.Applied health economics and health policy · 2025Review
- The impact of elective surgical hubs on elective surgery in acute hospital trusts in England.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Advancing perioperative care with digital applications and wearables.NPJ digital medicine · 2025Article
- Patient experiences of waiting for orthopaedic care and priorities for 'waiting well': a qualitative study in a London NHS trust.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2025Article
- Article
- Changes in participatory and societal outcomes during the waiting period for cochlear implantation - an observational study.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025Observational
- Article
- Hidden costs of surgical complications: a retrospective cohort study.BMJ surgery, interventions, & health technologies · 2025Article
8 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLong waiting times for elective surgical treatment threaten timely care provision in several countries. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of waiting for elective general surgery on the quality of life and psychosocial health of patients.
methodsA cross-sectional questionnaire study with postoperative follow-up was performed among patients on waiting lists for surgical treatment of varicose veins (n = 176), inguinal hernia (n = 201), and gallstones (n = 128) in 27 hospitals.
resultsIn each group the waiting period involved worse general health perceptions (GHPQ), more problems in quality of life (EuroQoL), and raised levels of anxiety (STAI) as compared to after surgery (all differences: p < 0.05). Quality of life was not affected in 19-36% of patients. Emotional reactions to waiting were most negative among patients with gallstones. Prior information about the duration of the wait reduced the negativity of these reactions (p < 0.05). Social activities were affected in 39% to 48% of the patients and 18%-23% of employed patients reported problems with work during the wait. Having waited a longer time was associated with worse quality of life among patients with inguinal hernia. Longer waited times also engendered more negative reactions to waiting among patients with inguinal hernia and gallstones (multilevel regression analysis, p < 0.01).
conclusionWaiting for general surgery mainly involves a prolonged period of decreased health and an affected psychological and social life of the patient in waiting. Variation in the severity of these consequences across patients indicates that the prioritisation of patients could reduce the overall burden of waiting. Early information about the duration of the delay could further promote a patient's acceptance of waiting.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.