Effect of surgery on psychiatric states and quality of life of paraplegics and quadriplegics with pressure sores and their primary caregivers

Pressure sores in paraplegics and quadriplegics constitute a challenging problem in plastic surgery. There are very few studies in the literature in the area of pressure sores, their treatment, and how they affect the mental, social, and emotional status of the patients. This study examined the role of surgery on the psychiatric state and quality of life in patients with pressure sores and their relatives who provide primary care. The study also determined if a relation exists between psychiatric state and pressure sore recurrence. Seventeen patients with deep pressure sores and 18 caregivers were included in the study. The Beck depression inventory (BDI), trait anxiety inventory (TAI), and the short form-36 were used to measure depression, anxiety, and quality of life in the participants. These tests were administered before the operation and 6 months afterwards. Decreases were found in postoperative depression and anxiety with an increase in quality of life in patients with pressure sores and their caregivers. A positive correlation was found between the recurrence and first and last BDI and TAI scores in patients with pressure sores. For relatives of the patients, we found a positive correlation between the first TAI scores and recurrence. Surgical treatment of pressure sores results in rapid improvement in the psychiatric state and quality of life of patients and patients’ relatives. A positive correlation was observed between recurrence and the psychiatric states of patients and relatives. To prevent recurrence, it is important to provide psychiatric support to patients with pressure sores and their primary caregivers.