Objectives: to explore the ways in which peripheral vascular disease subjectively affect patients and to relate these findings to validated measurements of quality of life (QOL) and life satisfaction.
Design: a cross-sectional study.
Subjects: eighty patients, with carotid artery stenosis (CAS), abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), intermittent claudication (IC) or critical limb ischaemia (CLI).
Methods: semi-structured interviews were used to explore the effect of the disease on the patients life situation. QOL was assessed by SF-36 and life satisfaction by LiSat-11.
Results: the SF36, LiSat-11 and our interview revealed two principal patterns: one for patients with CAS and AAA, and one for patients with IC and CLI. The interview revealed important areas affecting the vascular patient. Some of these areas: higher intellectual function, concern, sexual function, family concern and factors related to the operated areas were not covered by either the SF36 or the LiSat-11.
Conclusions: for a full understanding of how peripheral vascular disease affects the individual, disease specific questions need to be added to generic QOL instruments and measurements of life satisfaction.