Objectives: Malignant pleural effusion, often associated with advanced-stage cancers, causes debilitating symptoms that significantly impact patients’ quality of life. Although pleurodesis through video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a common treatment for this condition, its effect on quality of life remains poorly documented, particularly in resource-limited settings like Senegal. This study aims to assess the impact of VATS pleurodesis on patients’ quality of life. Material and Methods: We conducted a prospective study over a 5-year period (January 01, 2017–January 01, 2022) in the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Unit of the University Hospital of Fann. A total of 72 patients with recurrent, suspected, or confirmed malignant pleural effusion were enrolled. Quality of life was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (MOS SF-36). The non-parametric Wilcoxon test was used to compare scores across the eight dimensions of the MOS SF-36 before and after VATS pleurodesis. Results: The mean age of patients was 50 ± 14 years, ranging from 24 to 73 years. Females represented the majority (67%) compared to males (33%), with most women being housewives (48%). VATS pleurodesis significantly improved the physical functioning score ( p < 0.001), role limitations due to physical health ( p = 0.003), bodily pain score ( p = 0.03), general health score ( p < 0.001), vitality score ( p < 0.001), role limitations due to emotional health ( p < 0.001), and mental health score ( p = 0.03). Conclusion: VATS pleurodesis significantly improves the quality of life of patients suffering from recurrent or malignant pleural effusions. The study highlights substantial improvements across several dimensions of the MOS SF-36, such as physical functioning, vitality, and mental health. These findings underscore the importance of assessing quality of life in the management of these patients.
al. et al. (Mon,) studied this question.