Quality of life is excellent after a pelvic pouch for colitis-associated neoplasia.
OBJECTIVE
Despite high patient satisfaction with a pelvic pouch, patients experience some bowel dysfunction. Patients whose indication for surgery is neoplasia may have near-normal preoperative bowel function. We hypothesized that these patients would be less accepting of a poorer functional status after surgery, reflected in a poorer measure of quality of life.


METHODS
Sixteen patients who had dysplasia or cancer as the primary indication for surgery were compared with a matched control group whose indication for surgery was failed medical therapy. Quality of life was assessed using one disease-specific instrument, the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire, two generic quality-of-life instruments, the Sickness Impact Profile and the Short Form 36, and two utility assessments.


RESULTS
The groups were well matched with no significant differences in functional outcome. Quality-of-life scores were high in both groups and there were no significant differences in overall quality of life between the two groups using all five instruments. There was evidence of a response shift phenomenon in the failed medical therapy control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Quality of life of patients who have a pelvic pouch for colitis-associated neoplasia is excellent and the same as that of patients who have a pouch for failure of medical therapy.
Thompson-Fawcett
M W
MW
Department of Surgery, Mt. Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Richard
C S
CS
O'Connor
B I
BI
Cohen
Z
Z
McLeod
R S
RS
D002277:Carcinoma / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016737:Proctocolectomy, Restorative / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires