This is the Scientific Surgery Archive, which contains all randomized clinical trials in surgery that have been identified by searching the top 50 English language medical journal issues since January 1998. Compiled by Jonothan J. Earnshaw, former Editor-in-Chief, BJS
Quality of life assessment in patients with chronic anal fissure after lateral internal sphincterotomy. BJS 2005; 92: 881-885.
Published: 12th May 2005
Authors: H. Ortiz, J. Marzo, P. Armendariz, M. De Miguel
Background
The aim of this study was to compare quality of life of patients with chronic anal fissure before and after open lateral internal sphincterotomy.
Method
A prospective study was undertaken of 108 consecutive patients with a history of chronic anal fissure who underwent lateral internal sphincterotomy. Quality of life was measured before and 6 months after operation with the Short‐Form 36 (SF‐36) Health Survey.
Results
Quality of life improved significantly in six of the eight scales of the SF‐36 questionnaire: physical functioning, role physical, bodily pain, energy, social functioning and mental health. There were no significant differences between the 70 patients who had no change in continence after operation and the 38 patients with continence disturbances after sphincterotomy. However, there were significant improvements in four scales in patients without changes in continence compared with improvements in only two scales in those with continence disturbances.
Conclusion
Patients with chronic anal fissure showed an improvement in quality of life 6 months after internal lateral sphincterotomy. Patients with postoperative continence disturbances showed improvement in fewer scales of the SF‐36 questionnaire than those without changes in continence. Copyright © 2005 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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