TABLE 1.
Domains Identified From Initial Long List (Survey Questionnaire Items)
| Broad Health Domain | Domain |
| Quality of life after discharge from hospital (n = 38 items) | |
| Activities of daily living and work/employment | 1 Able to carry out usual activities |
| 2 Able to participate/enjoy physical activities | |
| Eating and drinking | 3 Able to eat/drink more easily (dysphagia) |
| 4 Able to swallow without pain (odynophagia) | |
| 5 Able to enjoy healthy/balanced eating pattern | |
| 6 Problems with acid indigestion/heartburn including at night (reflux) | |
| 7 Problems eating socially | |
| 8 Problems with regurgitation and/or vomiting | |
| 9 Belching, bloating or gas (flatulence) | |
| 10 Feeling out of breath/difficulties breathing (dyspnea) | |
| 11 Problems choking when eating/drinking | |
| 12 Problems with appetite loss | |
| 13 Problems with sense of taste | |
| 14 Sudden dizziness, sweating and/or feeling drained after eating (dumping) | |
| Physical health | 15 Problems with feeling sick (nausea) |
| 16 Problems with diarrhoea, including frequent bowel movements | |
| 17 Having good general health | |
| 18 Problems with general pain/discomfort | |
| 19 Problems with weak voice/hoarseness | |
| 20 Problems with constipation | |
| 21 Problems with coughing | |
| 22 Problems with a dry mouth | |
| 23 Problems with sleeping | |
| 24 Problems with tiredness (fatigue) | |
| Physical appearance | 25 Problems with weight |
| 26 Feeling in control of weight and appearance | |
| 27 Feeling satisfied/confident with one's body | |
| 28 Problems with hair loss | |
| Social life and relationships | 29 Interested in and able to enjoy sex |
| 30 Able to have relationships with friends | |
| 31 Able to have relationships with family members | |
| Mental health | 32 Problems with concentration and memory (cognitive function) |
| 33 Problems with anxiety | |
| 34 Problems with depression | |
| 35 Problems with changes in general mood | |
| Overall health, wellbeing and life | 36 Money worries due to loss of earnings (finances) |
| 37 Overall quality of life | |
| 38 Spiritual or faith issues | |
| Benefits of esophageal cancer surgery (n = 4 items) | |
| Improving problems of esophageal cancer | 39 Improving patient's ability to eat and drink (dysphagia) |
| Survival and controlling cancer | 40 How long a patient will live (overall survival) |
| 41 How long a patient may live free of esophageal cancer (Cancer-specific survival) | |
| 42 The chances that the cancer will come back (recurrence) | |
| In-hospital events (n = 18 items) | |
| Events during surgery | 43 Inoperability |
| 44 Organ injury | |
| 45 Hemorrhage | |
| Post-operative events related to esophagectomy | 46 Chyle/pleural leak |
| 47 Anastomotic leak | |
| 48 Conduit necrosis | |
| 49 Re-insertion of chest/abdominal/stomach drain | |
| 50 Laryngeal nerve palsy | |
| Other postoperative events | 51 Wound infection or dehiscence |
| 52 Cardiac complications | |
| 53 Renal complications | |
| 54 Severe urine infection (septicaemia) | |
| 55 Cerebral complications | |
| 56 Liver failure | |
| 57 Respiratory complications | |
| 58 Blood clots in the legs or lungs (deep vein thrombosis; pulmonary embolism) | |
| 59 Reventilation | |
| 60 Inhospital mortality | |
| Events after discharge (n = 8 items) | |
| Events related to eating and drinking | 61 Esophageal stricture |
| 62 Pyloric dilatation | |
| 63 Total parenteral nutrition | |
| Complications needing reoperation or reintervention | 64 Need for further surgery for a build-up of fluid around the lung (empyema) |
| 65 Need for further stomach surgery due to abdominal hernia | |
| 66 Colonic interposition | |
| 67 Diaphragmatic hernia repair | |
| 68 Need for another operation | |