title: Effect of sphincter-sacrificing surgery for rectal carcinoma on quality of life in Muslim patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Living with a permanent colostomy significantly diminishes a patient's quality of life. However, little is known about its influence on worship patterns in Muslims. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the quality of life in Muslim patients after surgery for rectal carcinoma, especially with respect to religious worship.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 178 patients who had undergone curative surgery for colorectal carcinoma. The patients fell into three groups based on the type of surgery they underwent: abdominoperineal resection (n = 75), sphincter-saving resection (n = 51), and anterior resection including sigmoid colectomy (n = 52). Quality of life was measured with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 Health Survey and a questionnaire that asked participants about their work responsibilities, sexual life, and religious worship.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scores for all eight subscales of the Short Form 36 in the abdominoperineal resection group were significantly poorer than those in the sphincter-saving resection and anterior resection groups ( P< 0.001). In addition, social life and work responsibilities were significantly more affected in the abdominoperineal resection group than in the other two groups ( P< 0.001). A significantly ( P< 0.001) greater number of patients in the abdominoperineal resection group stopped praying daily (either alone or in a mosque) and fasting during Ramadan.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Two aspects of religious worship (praying and fasting) were significantly impaired in the Muslim patients who had a stoma as a result of sphincter-sacrificing surgery. To improve quality of life in these patients, religious issues as they relate to the presence of a stoma should be discussed during preoperative counseling, the informed consent process, and counseling with local religious authorities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Ankara, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Ayhan
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kuzu
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Topçu
authors.forename: Keriman
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uçar
authors.forename: Suat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ulukent
authors.forename: Ekrem
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Unal
authors.forename: Nezih
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Erverdi
authors.forename: Atilla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elhan
authors.forename: Salim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demirci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003125:Colostomy; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006693:Holidays; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D007514:Islam; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012934:Social Isolation