title: Postoperative fatigue negatively impacts the daily lives of patients recovering from hysterectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess, from the patient's perspective, the prevalence and impact of postoperative fatigue after hysterectomy and to increase understanding of physician-patient communications before and after surgery regarding recovery and diminished postoperative energy level.
  
  
  METHODS
  We completed a telephone survey of 300 women aged 25-50 who had undergone a hysterectomy or myomectomy within the past 2 years. The patients were recruited randomly from two national, random samples of households: 1) women aged 25-50, and 2) women taking hormone replacement therapy in the target age range. Patients were asked a series of questions about their postoperative fatigue after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 74% of patients experienced moderate-to-severe fatigue within the first few weeks after surgery. Fatigue occurred more frequently and persisted twice as long as pain, the next most frequent symptom, which was experienced by 63% of patients overall. Fatigue was the symptom that most interfered with daily activities (37%) and also contributed to feelings of frustration (52%), to depression (37%), and to difficulty in concentrating (42%). Patients employed at the time of surgery missed an average of 5.8 weeks of work; 69% of those surveyed required 2 or more weeks of caregiver assistance. Postoperative fatigue was discussed by 68% of patients' physicians before surgery, and 57% of patients discussed postoperative fatigue with their physicians after surgery. Oral iron therapy and dietary supplements were the most frequently recommended treatments; 52% of patients were not offered any treatments or recommendations to alleviate their fatigue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fatigue is a highly prevalent posthysterectomy and myomectomy symptom and has substantial negative physical, psychosocial, and economic effects on patients during recovery.
authors.affiliation: UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA. adachern@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Alan H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: DeCherney
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bachmann
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Isaacson
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gall
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D003625:Data Collection; D005221:Fatigue / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000601:surgery