Satisfaction with upper limb reconstructive surgery in individuals with tetraplegia: the development and reliability of a Swedish self-reported satisfaction questionnaire

Study design: A questionnaire-based survey. Objectives: To assess satisfaction after upper limb reconstructive surgery in individuals with tetraplegia and to determine the reliability of a Swedish satisfaction questionnaire. Setting: A center for advanced reconstruction of extremities, Gothenburg, Sweden. Methods: Seventy-eight individuals with tetraplegia were invited to participate in the survey assessing satisfaction with the result of surgery across various domains. Measures of reliability included stability and internal consistency of domains consisting questions regarding global satisfaction, activities and occupation/schooling. Results: Fifty-eight individuals (76%) participated, among whom 47 (82%) completed the questionnaire twice for repeatability assessment. The responses in the domains relating to global satisfaction, activities and occupation/schooling were positive in 83%, 72% and 31% of participants, respectively. Ninety-five percent felt they had benefited from the surgery, and 86% felt that the surgery had made a positive impact on their life. The psychometric testing indicated that the questionnaire yields scores that are reliable by both test-retest and internal consistency, with the exception of the domain occupation/schooling that had a high prevalence of missing and neutral responses and seemingly represents separate and distinct entities. Conclusion: Surgical rehabilitation of the upper limb in tetraplegia is highly beneficial and rewarding from a patient perspective, leading to satisfactory gains in activities of daily living as well as enhanced quality of life. The questionnaire is a reliable instrument for measuring satisfaction after surgery. However, occupationally and educationally related aspects of the surgical outcome should constitute separate domains, and further modifications of the questionnaire are thus recommended.