Very Long‐Term Follow‐Up of Multidimensional Health‐Related Quality of Life After Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery for Pituitary Adenomas: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background To evaluate postoperative health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) for pituitary adenoma patients, multidimensional assessment is important. Available data is limited on long‐term follow‐up. Methods Prospectively, 52 nonfunctioning (NFA) and functioning (FA) pituitary adenoma patients were included. The Endoscopic Endonasal Sinus and Skull Base Surgery Questionnaire (EES‐Q) was completed preoperatively and postoperatively (2 weeks, 3 months, 1 year, 8.5 years). Generalized estimating equations identified variables associated with HRQoL changes over time. Results Psychological ( p = 0.006) and social HRQoL ( p = 0.026) significantly improved after very long‐term follow‐up, while physical HRQoL and EES‐Q scores normalized. Pre‐ and postoperatively, most inconveniences were reported in the social domain, with a noticeable difference between NFA and FA patients. Female gender negatively impacted physical HRQoL. Conclusions Endoscopic endonasal surgery has no very long‐term negative impact on HRQoL. Social functioning remained the most affected throughout follow‐up. These results highlight the importance of this multidimensional HRQoL tool to improve patient‐centered health care.