Influence of preoperative life satisfaction on recovery and outcomes after colorectal cancer surgery - a prospective pilot study
- PMID: 29343246
- PMCID: PMC5772718
- DOI: 10.1186/s12955-017-0824-4
Influence of preoperative life satisfaction on recovery and outcomes after colorectal cancer surgery - a prospective pilot study
Abstract
Background: Colorectal surgery has an important impact on a patient's quality of life, and postoperative rehabilitation shows large variations. To enhance the understanding of recovery after colorectal cancer, health-related quality of life has become a standard outcome measurement for clinical care and research. Therefore, we aimed to correlate the influence of preoperative global life satisfaction on subjective feelings of well-being with clinical outcomes after colorectal surgery.
Methods: In this pilot study of consecutive colorectal surgery patients, various dimensions of feelings of preoperative life satisfaction were assessed using a self-rated scale, which was validated in French. Both objective (length of stay and complications) and subjective (pain, subjective well-being and quality of sleep) indicators of recovery were evaluated daily during each patient's hospital stay.
Results: A total of 112 patients were included. The results showed a negative relationship between life satisfaction and postoperative complications and a significant negative correlation with the length of stay. Moreover, a significant positive correlation between life satisfaction and the combined subjective indicators of recovery was observed.
Conclusion: We have shown the importance of positive preoperative mental states and global life satisfaction as characteristics that are associated with an improved recovery after colorectal surgery. Therefore, patients with a good level of life satisfaction may be better able to face the consequences of colorectal surgery, which is a relevant parameter in supportive cancer care.
Keywords: Colorectal cancer surgery; Life satisfaction; Pain; Postoperative complications; Rehabilitation; Sleep.
Conflict of interest statement
Ethics approval and consent to participate
Prospective pilot study approved by the Ethic committee of the Strasbourg University Medicine Faculty under the N°2016–38.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Competing interests
Not applicable.
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
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