title: Self reported experience of sexual function and quality after abdominoperineal excision in a prospective cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rectal cancer treatment, especially abdominoperineal excision (APE), can cause sexual dysfunction. There are indications that pre-operative information regarding sexual dysfunction is inadequate. The aim of this study was to explore self reported sexual function in a group of patients operated with APE and the patients' remembrance of preoperative information more than one year after their surgical procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients with rectal cancer operated with APE in one institution between 2004 and 2009 were included. Data was collected from hospital records and the Swedish Colorectal cancer registry. A detailed questionnaire was sent out to the patients 13-84 months post-operatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and eight patients were alive in February 2011, 84 agreed to participate and 89% returned the questionnaire. Men and women did not differ regarding age, tumour stage, neoadjuvant treatment or type of surgical procedure. More men were involved in a relationship; men had more thoughts about sex, were less satisfied and were more bothered than women by their sexual dysfunction. A majority of patients did not retain sufficient knowledge from the preoperative information regarding sexual dysfunction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This exploratory study shows that although sexual activity was similar between the two genders, men reported more bother by their self-reported sexual dysfunction after an APE than women did. However, both men and women felt that the preoperative information was inadequate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgeons should focus more on information about the risk of sexual dysfunction as well as on its treatment at follow-up.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01323166.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, SSORG - Scandinavian Surgical Outcomes Research Group, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Gothenburg, Sweden. Electronic address: eva.angenete@vgregion.se.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Angenete
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, SSORG - Scandinavian Surgical Outcomes Research Group, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Asplund
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, SSORG - Scandinavian Surgical Outcomes Research Group, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Surgery, Alingsås Hospital, Alingsås, Sweden.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, SSORG - Scandinavian Surgical Outcomes Research Group, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Östra, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Haglind
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D010502:Perineum / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Abdominoperineal resection; Morbidity; Quality of life; Rectal neoplasm; Sexual dysfunction