Patient-selected goals: A new perspective on surgical outcome

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to study the relationship between achievement of patient goals, overall satisfaction, and objective outcome measures. STUDY DESIGN: After Institutional Review Board approval, we prospectively evaluated 78 women undergoing pelvic reconstructive surgery at Loyola University Medical Center. After informed consent for surgery, patients were asked to state their goals for surgery. In a follow-up telephone conversation, these goals were reviewed and negotiated to modify expectations. The same physician investigator contacted women 3 months after surgery to assess goal achievement, overall satisfaction, and their surgical experience. Date were analyzed with Spearman correlation and Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS: Of 78 women, 75% indicated that they met most of their goals, and 72% were more than 80% satisfied. Patient satisfaction was moderately correlated to goal achievement (p = 0.57, P < .001). Objective cure, defined as no urodynamic sress incontinence and stage 0 or 1 prolapse, was not related to satisfaction (P = .14). Dissatisfaction was highly associated with feeling "unprepared for surgery" (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Objective and subjective outcomes are necessary to predict patient satisfaction.