Investigating complications after complex colorectal cancer surgery
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Defining post-operative complications following complex colorectal cancer surgery and assessing their impact on patient quality of life
IRAS ID
355685
Contact name
Kaushiki Singh
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Background: Surgery for complex colorectal cancer involves removing several organs from the pelvis including the bowel, rectum, bladder and reproductive organs. The complication rates following these operations can be as high as 70-80%. These complications include infections, bleeding, fluid collections, blood clots, bowel blockages, leaks from the bowel/urinary system, fistulae, stoma complications and various herniae including in the perineum (the area between the legs). These complications can have a significant impact on patients’ lives and affect their recovery from the cancer treatment. Certain complications such as perineal herniae are poorly understood. It is important to understand the symptoms caused by these complications and how they affect patients’ lives to enable the development of effective prevention and management strategies.
Aim: To investigate the impact on patients’ quality of life (QoL) from post-operative complications following complex colorectal cancer surgery. To achieve consensus regarding the definitions, classification and core outcome datasets of certain poorly understood post-operative complications such as perineal herniae.
Methods: There are four stages to this project. Interviews will be conducted in patients who are known to have post-operative complications following complex colorectal cancer surgery to identify their symptoms and impact on QoL. The results from these interviews will inform a questionnaire investigating symptoms and impact on QoL in patients at St Mark’s Hospital who underwent complex colorectal cancer surgery. These patients will have had CT and MRI scans as part of their routine care. These scans will be reviewed, and the findings will be correlated with the questionnaire results. A consensus study will then be held to determine a suitable definition, classification system and core outcomes dataset for post-operative complications such as perineal herniae which are currently poorly understood. The results from the four stages will improve understanding of patient symptoms and the impact on QoL from post-operative complications.
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
25/WA/0149
Date of REC Opinion
27 May 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion