Purpose: Low back pain presents a serious challenge for numerous medical specialties. The purpose of this study was to assess disability due to low back pain in patients operated on due to colorectal cancer depending on the type of surgery performed.
Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out in the period of July 2019 through March 2020. Included in the study were patients with colorectal cancer for scheduled surgeries including anterior resection of rectum (AR), laparoscopic anterior resection of rectum (LAR), Hartmann's procedure (HART), or abdominoperineal resection of rectum (APR). The Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire was used as the research tool. The study patients were surveyed at three time points: before surgery, six months after surgery, and one year after surgery.
Results: The analysis of study results revealed that an increase in the degree of disability and functioning impairment occurred in all groups between time points I and II, with the differences being statistically significant (p < 0.05). The inter-group comparative analysis of the total Oswestry questionnaire scores revealed statistically significant differences, with the impairment of function being most severe within the APR group and least severe within the LAR group.
Conclusion: The study results showed that low back pain contributes to impaired functioning of patients operated on due to colorectal cancer regardless of the type of procedure performed. A reduction in the degree of disability due to low back pain was observed one year after the procedure in patients having undergone LAR.
Keywords: colorectal cancers; laparoscopy; low back pain; open surgery; surgery.