title: Symptoms of obstructive defecation syndrome: functional outcome after stapled haemorrhoidectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with haemorrhoids often present obstructive defecation symptoms. Preoperative they can be classified in three groups: slight, severe and mild symptoms. Aim of this study was to postoperatively evaluate functional outcome in patients who underwent stapled haemorrhoidectomy in mild obstructive defecation syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 98 patients with mild obstructive defecation symptoms using Wexner score preoperatively (range 8-16) from the 332 consecutive patients treated with stapled haemorrhoidectomy between January 2009 and December 2011. All patients were clinically examined 1 month after surgical treatment and every 6 months with a mean followup of 30 months (range 24-42 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 98 patients enrolled included 58 men and 40 women. There were no intraoperative complications. Postoperative complications included four patients. A reduction of Wexner score from a mean preoperative score of 12 to a mean postoperative score of 6 just 6 months after surgery was observed. This difference was statistically significant (p<0.001: Mann-Whitney U test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Careful clinical evaluation of patients with haemorrhoids and obstructive defecation symptom is required to establish the most appropriate treatment. The results of this study indicated that stapled haemorrhoidectomy can improves the functional symptoms for patients with constipation symptoms of moderate degree.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Functional outcome, Obstructive defecation symptoms, Stapled haemorrhoidectomy.
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bove
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: D'Addetta
authors.forename: Gino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palone
authors.forename: Tarcisio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paniccia
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chiarini
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lapergola
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bongarzoni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003248:Constipation / Q000209:etiology*; D003672:Defecation; D005260:Female; D061865:Hemorrhoidectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006484:Hemorrhoids / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D017792:Surgical Stapling; D013577:Syndrome; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult