title: A one-year follow-up of the quality of life after stapled hemorrhoidopexy.
abstract: Articles presenting treatment outcomes of stapled hemorrhoidopexy are rarely based on detailed analyses of the quality of life.The aim of the study was the assessment of changes within one year of treatment in the quality of life of patients who underwent stapled hemorrhoidopexy using QLQ-C30 form (version 3).
  
  
  METHODS
  120 patients with grade III and IV internal hemorrhoidal disease treated with stapled hemorrhoidopexy were enrolled in the study. They answered questions from QLQ-C30 form and were subjected to examination a day before surgery and 1 day, 7 days, 4 weeks, 6 and 12 months after surgery. Assessment included operation site inspection, pain intensity measurement in VAS scale and parameters incorporated in QLQ-C30 form evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall quality of life decreased immediately after surgery (a day after 50% vs. 60% before surgery), but rapidly improved in one week and in one month periods (60% and 80% consecutively) reaching a plateau one month after surgery. Early complications occurred in 6 patients (5%). Recurrence of the disease was not observed. Bleeding from anastomosis site and severe pain in anal area immediately post surgery as a result of improper purse-string suture placement were the main complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with grade III or IV hemorrhoidal disease, stapled hemorrhoidopexy ensures a rapid improvement in the quality of life after surgery to the level experienced prior to the operation. 7-day convalescence period is sufficient. After one month, the overall quality of life improves significantly and reaches a plateau.
authors.affiliation: Surgical Department, Ministry of the Interior and Administration Hospital in Gdańsk.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Czarzasty
authors.forename: Wiesław Janusz
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Kruszewski
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zieliński
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niżnik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006484:Hemorrhoids / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D011788:Quality of Life; D017792:Surgical Stapling; D013537:Sutures; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult