Evaluation of the life qualities and resilience of adolescents with congenital heart disease who had been operated through interventional or surgical methods at the age of five or younger

Purpose: It was aimed in this study to evaluate the life qualities and resilience of adolescents who were under follow-up for congenital heart disease and who had been operated through interventional or surgical methods when they were five years old or younger. Material and Method: 65 patients who were aged 10 years old or older and who were under follow-up of the Department of Paediatric Cardiology and 25 healthy children at similar ages and same-gender were included in the study. Their life qualities and resilience of the patients who had been operated through interventional or surgical methods when they were five years old or younger were evaluated and neurological examinations were performed. In line with this purpose, The Paediatric Life Quality Inventory 4.0 Evaluation Form for children at the ages of 8-12 or 13-18 and Parent Form were used in this study. Besides, Resilience Scale was also performed for this study. The questions in the Resilience Scale were asked to the parents, too. Findings: It was found the life quality and resilience levels which were reported by the patients and their parents were lower than their healthy peers. Whereas the life quality level of cyanotic children was lower than of non-cyanotic children, there was no difference between their resilience levels. The resilience level, the total score of the paediatric quality of life inventory, and the total score of physical health of patients who had been operated through transcatheter were lower than of the patients in the control group. The patients who had been treated by surgical methods obtained a lower score on all scales than the patients in the control group. No significant differences were found between the scale scores of patients with and without abnormal neurological examination findings. Conclusion: In the study, the patients reported that they had lower life quality and resilience when compared to their healthy peers. Planning the support programs appropriate to the cultural status of the family and the age of the child for increasing resilience, explaining the exercise opportunities compatible with the functional capacity of the patient to patients and their families in order to avoid redundant protective and preventive attitude, and informing the family practitioner about the issue are necessary in every stage of diagnosis and treatment processes. This study has played an important role to raise awareness on these subjects in our clinic. Key words: Congenital Heart Disease, Life Quality, Resilience, Neurological Findings, Transcatheter Treatment, Surgical Treatment