The impact of posterior urethral valves on adult quality of life.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the quality of life of men who had been treated for posterior urethral valves (PUV) in childhood.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
Questionnaires were mailed to 108 patients with PUV treated at the Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki, and 67 (62%) of them responded. Three different questionnaires (15D, LSS, and RAND) were used to evaluate the quality of life.


RESULTS
The total quality of life in PUV patients was reported as good compared to the general population in the RAND and LSS surveys. However, in the 15D analysis the PUV patients reported lower scores in sleeping, eating, and sexual activity. Those PUV patients who had been treated for renal insufficiency reported lower scores in several dimensions in all three surveys. Patients with urinary incontinence reported more sleeping problems and regarded themselves physically more disabled.


CONCLUSIONS
The PUV patients with renal insufficiency or urinary incontinence had impaired quality of life in several dimensions.