Does Postoperative Anxiety/Depression Impair the Long-Term Functional Outcomes of Laparoscopic Ventral Rectopexy for Obstructed Defecation?

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between postoperative anxiety/depression and functional outcomes of laparoscopic ventral rectopexy (LVR) for obstructed defecation (OD).

Methods

Patients who received LVR for OD between March 2014 and July 2020 were enrolled. Patient demographics were recorded before surgery. The validated Cleveland Clinic Constipation Score (CCCS) and Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QoL) were evaluated to assess functional outcomes and QoL, respectively. The self-rating anxiety scale and self-rating depression scale were used to measure anxiety and depression, respectively.

Results

Twenty-five patients were recruited. Significant improvement was found at last available follow-up (LAFU) in CCCS (P = .001), and three PAC-QoL subsets, physical discomfort (P = .003), satisfaction (P = .014), and worries/concerns (P = .033) during follow-up of 60 (11-84) months. In the patients with anxiety/depression (n = 11), significant improvement was found at LAFU in CCCS (P = .024) and the PAC-QoL subset, psychosocial discomfort (P = .038). In the patients without anxiety/depression (n = 14), improvement was found in CCCS (P = .009) and the PAC-QoL subset, physical discomfort (P = .018).

Conclusion

The long-term functional outcomes of LVR for OD in patients with overt pelvic structural abnormalities are not undermined by postoperative anxiety/depression.