Prevalence of Bowel Dysfunction after Colorectal Surgery & its Impact on Quality of Life in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK),Pakistan

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of bowel dysfunction after colorectal surgery and evaluate its impact on health-related quality of life in patients treated at a tertiary care hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan.
Study Design: Cross-sectional observational study
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the department of general surgery, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan between February 2020 and January 2024.
Methods: Total 240 patients were enrolled using consecutive non probability sampling. Patients of any gender who were 18 years or older and who underwent emergency or elective surgery at our institute for a benign or malignant colorectal disease were included in the study.
Results: Surgical characteristics revealed that 62.5% of the patients were operated upon for colorectal cancer and 37.5% for benign disease. Resection at the rectum was performed in 45.8%. Right hemicolectomy was the most frequently performed colon surgery (25%), followed by left hemicolectomy (16.7%) and sigmoid colectomy (12.5%).
Conclusion: Postoperative bowel dysfunction is a frequent postoperative complication among colorectal surgery patients in KPK that affect their quality of life greatly. This underscores the need for functional outcome evaluation and multidisciplinary management in the routine follow-up of postoperative patients. Early identification and targeted interventions are necessary to enhance the long-term health of these patients.