Improving Health-Related Quality of Life in Wounded Warriors: The Promising Benefits of Laser Hair Removal to the Residual Limb-Prosthetic Interface. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • BACKGROUND: Wounded warriors with lower limb amputations using prosthetics commonly develop dermatologic complaints at the residual limb-prosthetic interface, which impact their health-related quality of life (HRQOL). To optimize this interface, military dermatologists routinely treat the subset of issues related to the pilosebaceous unit with laser hair removal (LHR). OBJECTIVE: To characterize the impact of residual limb skin conditions on HRQOL in wounded warriors using lower limb prosthetics before and after treatment with LHR. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Twenty wounded warriors with lower limb amputations using prosthetics were administered a validated HRQOL survey, the Skindex-16, before and after an average of 3 treatments of LHR to their residual lower limbs. Responses were statistically analyzed within the symptoms, emotions, and functioning subscales of the survey and in aggregate. RESULTS: Statistically significant (p < .05) improvement in HRQOL was observed across the symptoms, emotions, and functioning subscales and in aggregate. CONCLUSION: Dermatologic complaints at the residual limb-prosthetic interface in patients with traumatic lower limb amputation are well-established in the literature. The authors present the first report subjectively quantifying this impact on HRQOL and the marked improvement observed with LHR to the residual limb.

publication date

  • October 1, 2016

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 84989909060

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1097/DSS.0000000000000867

PubMed ID

  • 27668924

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 42

issue

  • 10