Abstract
BackgroundGrowing consideration in quality of life (QoL) has changed the therapeutic strategy in patients suffering from diverticular disease. Patients’ well-being plays a crucial role in the decision-making process. However, there is a paucity of studies investigating patients’ or surgery-related factors influencing the postoperative gastrointestinal function. The aim of this study was to investigate in a predictive model patients or surgical variables that allow better estimation of the postoperative gastrointestinal QoL.MethodsThis observational study retrospectively analyzed patients undergoing elective laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for diverticulitis between 2004 and 2017. The one-time postoperative QoL was assessed with the gastrointestinal quality of life index (GIQLI) in 2019. A linear regression model with stepwise selection has been applied to all patients and surgery-related variables.ResultsTwo hundred seventy-two patients with a mean age of 62.30 ± 9.74 years showed a mean GIQLI of 116.39±18.25 at a mean follow-up time of 90.4±33.65 months. Women (n=168) reported a lower GIQLI compared to male (n=104; 112.85±18.79 vs 122.11±15.81, p<0.001). Patients with pre-operative cardiovascular disease (n=17) had a worse GIQLI (106.65 ±22.58 vs 117.08±17.66, p=0.010). Finally, patients operated less than 5 years ago (n=63) showed a worse GIQLI compared to patients operated more than 5 years ago (n=209; 111.98±19.65 vs 117.71±17.63, p=0.014).ConclusionsFemale gender and the presence of pre-operative cardiovascular disease are predictive for a decreased postoperative gastrointestinal QoL. Furthermore, patients’ estimation of gastrointestinal functioning seems to improve up to 5 years after surgery.Graphical abstract
Highlights
During the last decades, there is a growing attention to the quality of life (QoL) of patients after abdominal surgery, in Alberto Posabella and Daniel Christian Steinemann are co-shared first authors
The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the gastrointestinal QoL after elective laparoscopic sigmoid resection using the gastrointestinal quality of life index (GIQLI)
The one-time postoperative QoL was assessed with the gastrointestinal quality of life index (GIQLI) [9]
Summary
There is a growing attention to the quality of life (QoL) of patients after abdominal surgery, in Alberto Posabella and Daniel Christian Steinemann are co-shared first authors. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the gastrointestinal QoL after elective laparoscopic sigmoid resection using the gastrointestinal quality of life index (GIQLI). Focusing on the core gastrointestinal symptoms, four other different subdomains (physical, psychological, social, and disease-specific items) widely investigate different aspects of the QoL of the patients [9]. There is a paucity of studies investigating patients’ or surgery-related factors influencing the postoperative gastrointestinal function.
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