Health related quality of life after oesophagectomy: elderly patients refer similar eating and swallowing difficulties than younger patients

Table 4 Differences in health-related quality between older patients (age > =70) and younger patients (age < 70), at admission, at discharge and at 3 months after surgery, with significant time interaction

OES18 aspects	Admission		Discharge		3 months after surgery
	MD (95 % C.I.)	p-value	MD (95 % C.I.)	p-value	MD (95 % C.I.)	p-value
Trouble swallowing saliva	17.4 (3.6, 31.2)	0.01	−7.5 (−20.7, 5.7)	n.a.	0,2 (−18.9, 19.3)	n.a.
Choking when swallowing	13.8 (5.8, 21.8)	0.0008	−0.5 (−7.9, 6.9)	n.a.	−2.5 (−13.6, 8.6)	n.a.
Eating	20.1 (7.4, 32.8)	0.002	2.4 (−9.5, 14.3)	n.a.	0.5 (−17.2, 18.2)	n.a.

Mean score difference (MDs) were assessed with linear mixed-effect models and adjusted for time
Charlson Comorbidity Index, neoadjuvant therapy, tumour stage, gender, histology, tumour site and complications. Any MD ≥ 10 was considered clinically significant and tested for statistical significance (n.a., not applicable, if MD < 10)

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