Hirschsprung's Disease: Surgical Techniques and Quality of Life

Quality of Life in Patients With Hirschsprung's Disease in Relation to Surgical Technique: a Study of a Danish Population

This is an observational study examining the long-term quality of life in patients with Hirschsprung's Disease in relation to the choice of surgical technique.

Hirschsprung's Disease (HD) is a developmental defect causing functional obstruction of bowel. It is a condition that almost always requires surgical intervention. This study aims to examine the relation between quality of life and surgical technique in patients with Hirschsprung's disease in hopes of providing insight into advantages and disadvantages of different surgical techniques employed at OUH, department for general surgery in the time between 1985 and 2012. This will be done based on answers given on a set of validated questionnaires that has been sent to all patients diagnosed with HD in the years 1985 to 2012 at OUH, department for general surgery.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients diagnosed with HD at the Surgical Department at Odense University Hospital from 1985 to 2012 will be invited to enroll in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• lack of informed consent, pregnancy, wrong diagnosis and inability to understand or answer the questionnaires.