Background and aims: Our experience in colon-proctology showed the need to update the post-surgical complications score we published (1), adding others that may have an impact on outcome of treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a score obtained from the analysis of the quality of life and severity of complications after proctologic surgery.
Materials and methods: Between January and December 2013, we studied 150 patients undergoing several ano-rectal surgeries for the presence of hemorrhoids of grade III and IV (63 patients), anal fissures (42 patients), anal fistulas (19 patients), rectocele (15 patients) and mucosal prolapse of the rectum (11 patients). After surgery, patients were evaluated through outpatient visits at 3, 6 and 12 months, by a questionnaire concerning the surgery complications and quality of life, the latter expressed with a score from 0 (poor) to 10 (excellent).
Results: Only 134 patients [mean age: 49 years (range 35-61 years), 62 M] completed the entire follow-up. The score of complications has been gradually decreasing from 11.3 (baseline) to 9.6 to 3 months, 3.6 to 6 months and 2.3 at 12 months, while the score of the quality of life progressively increased from 4.5 to 6, 8 and 8.5 respectively (p<0.05), with a correlation between the two score (r=-0.6, p= 0.03).
Conclusions: The quantification by scores of quality of life and postoperative complications in colon-proctology is an important prognostic predictor.
Keywords: Complications scoring; Proctological disease; Quality of life.