• Paolo Zerbinati, Davide Mazzoli, Martina Galletti, Giacomo Basini, Chiara Rambelli, Francesca Mascioli, Maria Chiara Bò, Caterina Delia, Ludovica Petroselli, Maria Chiara Vulpiani, Paolo Prati, Jonathan Bemporad, and Andrea Merlo.
• Neuro-Orthopedic Surgery Unit, Sol et Salus Hospital, Torre Pedrera di Rimini, RN, Italy.
• Curr Med Res Opin. 2024 May 31: 1101-10.

ObjectivesFunctional surgery (FS) is often used to correct congenital or acquired deformities in neurological patients. Along with functional results, short- and medium-term patient satisfaction should always be considered a key goal of surgery and rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to assess the short to medium-term satisfaction of patients who underwent FS and its correlation with perceived improvements.MethodsInvitation to an anonymous online survey was sent via e-mail to all neurological adult patients or caregivers of children who underwent lower or upper limb FS over the 2018-2020 period. The survey investigated patients' satisfaction with the surgery and the variation in pain, ADLs, level of independence, body image, self-esteem, social interaction skills, participation in social events, leisure activities and sports, and use of orthoses or walking aids. Descriptive data analysis was performed. Correlations were assessed using Kendall's tau.Results122 out of 324 adults and 53 out of 163 children's caregivers filled out the questionnaire, with a response rate approaching 40%. Eighty-three percent of adult respondents and 87% of the children's caregivers were satisfied or very satisfied in the short and medium terms and reported their expectations had been met. Satisfaction was significantly correlated (p < 0.01) with improvements in functional abilities, social participation, self-esteem, and pain reduction. Half of the adults and 40% of children stopped using their orthoses or replaced them with lighter ones. Dissatisfaction and worsened conditions were reported by <10% of the respondents.ConclusionAccording to patients and caregivers, FS was satisfactory in the short and medium terms, following improvements in all the ICF domains for most patients.

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