Measurement of health-related quality of life with the Dutch translated Aberdeen Varicose Vein Questionnaire before and after treatment.

OBJECTIVE This clinical trial evaluated the use of the Dutch translated Aberdeen Varicose Vein Questionnaire (AVVQ) and SF-36 before and after treatment in patients with clinical-severity classes 1-6 venous disease of the lower limb. METHODS A total of 145 patients with symptomatic venous disease of the leg were included. Numbers of patients were evenly distributed among the six clinical-severity classes 1-6 (clinical, aetiology, anatomy and pathophysiology; CEAP). Patients completed two preoperative AVVQ questionnaires and one short-form health survey with 36 items (SF-36) questionnaire to evaluate test-re-test reliability of the AVVQ. Patients completed one postoperative AVVQ and SF-36 to evaluate the effect of treatment. RESULTS The test (99%) and re-test responses (97%) of the AVVQ were sufficient. Internal consistency of the Dutch translated AVVQ showed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.76. Correlation of test and re-test of the AVVQ was high (rho=0.86, P<0.001). A significant negative association, by Spearman's correlation coefficient, was found between the preoperative baseline Dutch translated AVVQ score and all eight domains of the preoperative SF-36 (P<0.001). These significant associations were also found in the postoperative scores. The mean preoperative AVVQ score of 19.5 (SD 11.8) and mean postoperative AVVQ score of 16.1 (SD 12.0) differed significantly (P<0.01). Analysis of three subgroups of clinical-severity classes (C1-2, C3-4 and C5-6) showed significant score changes before and after surgery (P<0.01). Preoperative and postoperative SF-36 scores were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS This study established the use of the Dutch translated AVVQ as a valid, health-related quality of life (QOL) questionnaire for measuring QOL before and after treatment in patients with clinical-severity classes 1-6 venous disease of the leg.