A study, published in Disease of the Colon & Rectum, analyzed what patients thought of their perioperative care and recovery periods following colorectal surgery.
Researchers examined 167 patients from a single academic medical center in New England. They surveyed the patients on a variety of metrics related to their surgical care.
Here's what they found:
1. About 92.2 percent of respondents were satisfied with their recovery.
2. Patients rated the following factors on matter of importance:
- Cured of colorectal cancer: 76 percent
- Not having a permanent stoma: 78 percent
- Avoiding complications: 74 percent
3. These were the matters of least importance:
- Length of stay: 13 percent
- Laparoscopy utilization: 14 percent
- Incision appearance: 2 percent
- Incision length: 4 percent
Researchers concluded, "Overall, patients reported high satisfaction with their care. … This research helps elucidate the outcomes patients truly consider valuable and surgeons should focus on these outcomes when making surgical decisions."