SELÇUK KAYA, RAMAZAN SARI
Southern Clinics of Istanbul Eurasia - 2021;32(1):8-12
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) results of the open and laparoscopic approaches in patients who underwent a sphincter-preserving resection for rectal cancer. METHODS: A total of 122 patients who underwent surgery for rectal cancer at a single center between January 2017 and December 2018 were included in this prospective study. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the type of surgical procedure: open (n=85) or laparoscopy (n=37). The HRQoL questionnaires employed were the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Colorectal Cancer 29 (EORTC QLQ-CR29). Results: The EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire revealed statistically significant differences with better results in the laparoscopic group for the following items: global status (p=0.008), role functioning (p=0.003), and nausea/vomiting (p=0.005). A significant difference was seen on the EORTC QLQ-CR29 questionnaire only for the flatulence item, with a better score recorded in the laparoscopic group (p=0.02). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The laparoscopic approach in rectal cancer surgery was superior to the open approach in terms of HRQoL in the early period. However, long-term results indicated that HRQoL was independent of surgical approach.
