Introduction::
This study aimed to assess the quality of life of patients with facial prostheses after head and neck surgery.
Materials and Methods::
Sixty-four patients who had received an extraoral or facial prosthesis over the previous five years and had been using it for at least six months after the treatment were interviewed. A validated questionnaire, the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire version 4, (UoW- QOL v4), was used and the patients’ sociodemographic profiles were obtained. Data was analysed using SPSS ver. 22.
Results::
A total of 64 patients, with a mean age of 38.1 years, were included, 41 (64.1%) of whom were male and
23 (35.9%) were female. The most significant problems encountered by the patients were appearance (14.1%), mood (11%) and recreation (7.8%). The majority stated that their overall quality of life was ‘fair’ or ‘good’ (84.4%). Pain (90.6%), activity (87.5%), and appearance (78.1%) were the issues most frequently reported by patients.
Conclusion:
The quality-of-life scores, as assessed using the (UoW-QOL v4) scale, were fair or good in patients with facial prostheses. Pain, activity, and appearance were regarded as the most important issues affecting their quality of life.