Observational studyThe British journal of surgery2024
Longitudinal health-related quality of life in people with thoracic aortic aneurysms.
Observational study in The British journal of surgery, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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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.
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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.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Comparison of short-and long-term outcomes between endovascular and open repair for descending thoracic aortic aneurysm: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of surgery (London, England) · 2025Pooled it
- Surgery Versus Surveillance: A Quality-of-Life Analysis of Patients With Moderately Dilated Aortic Root or Ascending Aorta.European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery · 2025Trial
- Disease-specific emotional burden persists after surgical repair for thoracic aortic aneurysm.JTCVS open · 2026Article
- Anxiety, depression and health-related quality of life in patients with thoracic aortic disease: a longitudinal study in a cardiothoracic outpatient clinic.Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine · 2026Article
- Post-thoracic aortic aneurysm procedural mental wellbeing: A scoping review.American heart journal plus : cardiology research and practice · 2025Review
- Thoracic aortic aneurysm.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSurgical intervention for thoracic aortic aneurysms is high risk. Understanding changes in health-related quality of life before and after endovascular stent grafting and open surgical repair can aid treatment decision-making.
methodsThe Effective Treatments for Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms ('ETTAA') study (ISRCTN04044627) was a longitudinal, observational study. Adults with new/existing arch or descending thoracic aortic aneurysms greater than or equal to 4 cm in diameter were followed from 2014 to 2022. Five domains of health-related quality of life (Mobility, Self-Care, Usual Activities, Pain/Discomfort, and Anxiety/Depression) were recorded using the EuroQoL, five dimensions, five levels ('EQ-5D-5L') questionnaire and analysed using a range of longitudinal mixed models.
resultsOf 886 thoracic aortic aneurysm participants, 824 completed at least 2 questionnaires. Patients had slightly worse health-related quality of life than age-matched norms. Without surgery, deterioration occurred over time in Mobility (0.072/year (95% c.i. 0.042 to 0.101), P < 0.001) and Self-Care (0.039/year (95% c.i. 0.018 to 0.061), P < 0.001) in both sexes and Pain/Discomfort in women (0.069/year (95% c.i. 0.020 to 0.118), P = 0.005). For 6 weeks after endovascular stent grafting, there was a significant impairment in Self-Care (0.214 (95% c.i. 0.112 to 0.316), P < 0.001) and (for women only) in Usual Activities (0.625 (95% c.i. 0.338 to 0.911), P < 0.001), which then returned to pre-endovascular stent grafting levels. Six weeks after open surgical repair, the impairment in health-related quality of life was greater (Mobility 0.492 (95% c.i. 0.314 to 0.669), Self-Care 0.474 (95% c.i. 0.364 to 0.583), Usual Activities 1.469 (95% c.i. 1.042 to 1.896), and Pain/Discomfort 0.561 (95% c.i. 0.363 to 0.760), all P < 0.001) and took longer to return to pre-open surgical repair levels, partly due to increased complications and longer hospitalization. Anxiety/Depression decreased after open surgical repair (-0.214 (95% c.i. -0.326 to -0.101), P < 0.001). Age, sex, frailty, smoking, New York Heart Association class, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were significantly associated with health-related quality of life.
conclusionWithout intervention, health-related quality of life declines as age increases. Changes in health-related quality of life should contribute to surgical treatment decision-making.
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