Bowel dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms on quality of life after sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of bowel dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms on the quality of patients with rectal cancer who underwent sphincter-preserving surgery.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included patients who were followed up after sphincter-preserving surgery in Korea. Data were collected from May 2022 to February 2023. The participants (n = 110) responded to self-reported questionnaires assessing the Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) score, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and QLQ-C29 questionnaires.

Results: Among the participants, 66.4% had major low anterior resection syndrome, and 39.1% had moderate-to-severe lower urinary tract symptoms. Patients with higher severity of low anterior resection syndrome and lower urinary tract symptoms had a lower quality of life. The IPSS, performance status, duration since the end of the surgery, comorbidities, LARS scores, and tumor location on the anal verge negatively affected the quality of life.

Conclusion: Patients with more severe bowel dysfunction or lower urinary tract symptoms have a poorer quality of life. Nurses should be made aware of the factors that can reduce the quality of life of patients who have undergone sphincter-preserving surgery. Accordingly, they should plan to address the various nursing problems.

Keywords: Bowel dysfunction; Low anterior resection syndrome; Quality of life; Rectal neoplasms.