A Questionnaire for the Evaluation of Quality of Life after Penile Prosthesis Implant: Quality of Life and Sexuality with Penile Prosthesis (QoLSPP)

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Penile prosthesis implantation is considered to be a satisfactory treatment for erectile dysfunction. Previous studies have assessed mainly prosthesis function and perioperative complications and have measured satisfaction only with regard to sexual performance. Very little, if anything, has been reported on the most relevant question: To what extent does the implant affect the patient's life? Aim To develop and validate the pathology-specific Quality of Life and Sexuality with Penile Prosthesis (QoLSPP) questionnaire, which evaluates patients' quality of life after penile prosthesis implantation. Methods Sixty-nine patients aged 32–82 years who received a three-component hydraulic prosthesis between 1997 and 2009 participated in the study; 47 participated in the retest of the instrument. The QoLSPP questionnaire was developed to examine general and sexual quality of life in four domains: functional, personal, relational, and social. All psychometric properties of the QoLSPP were validated. Internal validity was assessed by means of exploratory factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha was used to evaluate the internal consistency of the items within each factor. Paired-sample t-tests were used to investigate metric stability. Independent-samples t-tests and nonparametric tests were used to evaluate the sensitivity. Main Outcome Measures The main outcome measure for the questionnaire was quality of life as biological and psychosocial–relational well-being. Main outcome measures for validation were internal validity, metric stability, and sensitivity of the QoLSPP. Results The QoLSPP met the psychometric requirements of internal validity and reliability. Metric stability and sensitivity were tested and confirmed. Respondents reported high satisfaction levels in all quality of life domains. All domains were significantly and positively correlated; the functional domain was most predictive of overall quality of life. More than half of respondents perceived their partners to be very satisfied. Conclusions Prosthesis implantation was correlated with high quality of life in recipients and high perceived quality of couple relationships; partner satisfaction affected patients' quality of life, self-image, relation to the outside world, and satisfaction with implant function.