[Complex results of investigating the quality of life after rectal surgery]

The recent development of rectal surgery is related to the possibility of avoiding permanent stoma formation, which is presumably believed to be the main factor that decreases quality of life. Despite the modern views of the disease, the adequacy of complex treatment and the technical improvements, low anastomoses often result in poor bowel function. The subjective perception of health is changed for these patients. There arises the question of adequacy of operative approach. The aim of our investigation was analysis of the present QoL data of patients treated in the Specialized Oncology Hospital of Veliko Tarnovo.

The quality of life of 173 patients was examined with the help of EORTC questionnaires QLQ C30 and QLQ C38. The comparison is between a group with high anterior resection (N1 = 50-28.9%), a group with low sphincter-sparing operation (N2 = 59-34.3%) and primary extirpated patients (N3 = 53-30.8%). They were questioned preoperatively, in an early and late aspect, as well as before prophylactic stoma closure.

The high resected patients present the best QoL values. Performing the extirpation leads to significant preoperative drop and a good adaptation afterwards. Their indexes are not much different from anterior resection group. Compared with the low technique group considerable improvement as regards the scales social functioning and global health status (P < 0.05) was observed. This group has high values of general and specific symptomology (pain, constipation, diarrhea, dyspnoea, financial difficulties, defecational problems and sexual dysfunction) generating low QoL. Their recovery is prolongated in relation with the drop of the modules before the prophylactic stoma closure.

The best health perception available after treating the rectum carcinoma is for high located tumors. We recon that for patients with extirpation techniques and primary stoma formation there is no objective data of QoL decrease. In comparison, the group with low rectal resections had to undergo another operative intervention, and there were some specific complications and following poor function reducing quality of life. The requirement for very precise selection of patients must be fulfilled.