Constipation symptoms before and after vaginal and abdominal pelvic reconstructive surgery

Area of Science:

• Urogynecology
• Surgical Outcomes
• Gastrointestinal Health

Background:

• Constipation is a common concern for women undergoing pelvic reconstructive surgery.
• Pelvic reconstructive surgery aims to address pelvic floor disorders, potentially impacting bowel function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate changes in constipation symptoms after pelvic reconstructive surgery.
• To compare symptom changes based on surgical approach (vaginal vs. abdominal).

Main Methods:

• Ninety-four subjects completed the Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptom Questionnaire (PAC-SYM) pre- and post-surgery.
• PAC-SYM scores were analyzed to assess constipation symptom changes at 7 weeks.
• Comparisons were made between vaginal and abdominal surgical routes.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in baseline constipation scores between surgical groups.
• Vaginal surgery was associated with a significant reduction in constipation symptoms (p=0.049).
• Abdominal surgery led to a significant increase in abdominal constipation subscale scores (p=0.012).

Conclusions:

• Vaginal prolapse surgery may offer short-term relief from constipation.
• Abdominal reconstructive surgery appears to exacerbate abdominal constipation symptoms in the short term.