Objective: Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) is a vascular condition that is treated surgically. MALS is a diagnosis of exclusion and therefore often requires that pediatric patients undergo an exhaustive number of tests and potential experiences with misdiagnosis before receiving an accurate diagnosis and treatment. The purpose of the current mixed-methods study was to assess the pediatric patient- and parent-reported experience of (a) coping with and managing symptoms associated with MALS and (b) the diagnostic, treatment, and recovery process for pediatric MALS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedian arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) is a vascular compression syndrome leading to postprandial epigastric pain, nausea, and weight loss; it can be treated surgically. While most patients report improved quality of life following surgical intervention, 30% continue to experience chronic abdominal pain. Pre-surgical diagnoses of depression and/or anxiety have been found to significantly predict post-surgical: quality of life, highest experience of pain, anxiety, and parent- and self-reported coping strategies.
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