Impact of Hydrocoele Surgeries on Quality of Life for Persons Living in Lymphatic Filariasis Endemic Communities in Toro, North-Eastern Nigeria.

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a dreadful parasitic disease that currently threatens 863 million people across 72 countries, with hydrocoele as the most common clinical condition among affected men. This study investigates the impact of hydrocoele surgeries on the quality of life (QoL) of individuals living in an LF-endemic district in Nigeria. Atotal of 137 participants with hydrocoele were included in the study, and data on demographics, clinical conditions, barriers to surgery, post-surgery symptoms, and QoL indicators were collected before and after the surgeries. Most participants had unilateral hydrocoele (95.3%), and there was limited knowledge about the causes of hydrocoele (0.9%) and lymphatic filariasis (15.1%) among the participants. Before the surgeries, the overall QoL score was 4.06, with self-care being the lowest domain score (2.95) and pain being the highest (6.83), after the surgeries, there was a significant improvement in QoL, with a score of 0.6. The domain scores also showed improvements, with economic and psychological health having the lowest scores (0.07) and pain having the highest (0.39). The QoL scores for household members also improved significantly after the surgeries (2.19 vs. 0.07), with domain scores ranging from mobility (1.44 vs. 0.03) and psychological health (2.70 vs. 0.01) to social issues and economic aspects. The participants reported a substantial increase in their working hours and productivity (>100%) after the surgeries, allowing them to engage in social activities, maintain friendships, and fulfil their marital duties. These findings highlight the significant improvements in the QoL of individuals following hydrocoele surgeries. It is important to allocate more resources and investments to interventions that focus on providing accessible and inclusive surgical services to individuals affected by hydrocoele. By doing so, progress can be made towards achieving the 2030 elimination targets for LF and enhancing the overall well-being of the affected individuals.