Changes in quality of life and work status after surgical management of meralgia paresthetica- an observational cohort study.

PurposeSurgical management of meralgia paresthetica (MP) is effective in reducing pain. This study aims to analyze changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and work status after surgical management of MP.MethodsThe institutional database was screened for surgically treated MP cases between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2022. Patients were followed up by a standardized questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) and interview.ResultsThe final analysis included 24 patients at a median age of 51 years (interquartile range [IQR] 40-57). Comorbidities were present in 92 % of patients. At a median time of follow-up of 25 months (IQR 11-57) after surgery, 83 % of patients reported a benefit, independent of comorbidities or individual work-status. Pre-surgical pain (on a numeric scale from 1 to 10) improved from 8 (IQR 6-9) to 4 (IQR 1-7; p ConclusionThe majority of MP patients showed improvement in MP specific symptoms. HRQoL after surgery only improved among patients without depression, obesity and/or cardiovascular comorbidities as well as in non-retired subjects. However, a substantial number of patients did not return to work.