Does Optimizing Bladder Management Equal Optimizing Quality of Life? Correlation Between Health-related Quality of Life and Urodynamic Parameters in Patients With Spinal Cord Lesions

OBJECTIVES To analyze the influence of bladder management on patient well-being by correlating the objective urodynamic results of bladder treatment with the perceived quality of life in patients with spinal Cord lesions. METHODS In a prospective study, 41 consecutive patients with neuogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction due to a spinal cord lesion who were performing intermittent self-catheterization underwent Urodynamic examination and answered the German version of the Qualiveen (Coloplast A/S, Humlebaek, Denmark) questionnaire. The Urodynamic results were classified as either treatment success or failure. The results of the Qualiveen questionnaire were correlated with these results. RESULTS The Qualiveen scales concerning fears and feelings were significantly worse in patients with suboptimal bladder function compared with those patients with treatment success. CONCLUSIONS The results of our study have demonstrated that a treatment regimen leading to favorable Urodynamic data and continence correlates with better quality of life. UROLOGY 74: 263-266, 2009. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc.