Functional outcome after Hartmann's reversal surgery using LARS, COREFO & QoL scores.

Background: Functional complaints after colorectal surgery have a profound effect on quality of life (QoL). Our goal was to investigate the prevalence of functional complaints and quality of life after Hartmann's reversal surgery.

Method: A cross-sectional study was performed where one hundred nineteen patients were included. All patients underwent Hartmann's reversal procedure between 2007 and 2019. All patients were asked to complete 3 validated questionnaires related to bowel function in benign and colorectal cancer surgery as well as general QoL.

Results: The response rate was 67%. Among responders, 32.8% reported LARS-like symptoms whereas 25% had significant COREFO Scores (>15). Higher LARS and COREFO scores were significantly associated with worse global QoL and several QoL domain scores (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: This study highlights the prevalence of bowel dysfunction after Hartmann's reversal surgery. Patients undergoing this procedure show similar functional complaints compared to those in literature who had a resection without colostomy.