Patients tend to be pleased with results

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Feb, 1996

People who undergo elective surgery to treat such common health problems as hernias and hemorrhoids experience significantly better physical and mental health as a result, an Ohio State University study suggests. The researchers found that, at three and six months after surgery for gall bladder disease, hernia, hemorrhoids, or clinically severe obesity, patients had significantly fewer limitations in their physical and social activities because of health or emotional problems, as well as improved vitality, general well-being, and mental health.

The study involved 82 patients who had gall bladder, hemorrhoids, hernia, or gastric bypass surgery at the Ohio State University Medical Center. Each was asked to complete a 36-item questionnaire about health status at four different points in time: before surgery, immediately after it, in three months, and six months later. The researchers also collected information about each patient's anesthesia risk, complications during hospitalization, and satisfaction with the hospital stay. They found that all four elective procedures resulted in significantly improved health status for patients - that is, better self-reported physical, social, mental, emotional, and general health and pain relief.

According to Patricia C. Temple, clinical associate professor of health service management and policy, these results should be helpful to both patients considering elective surgeries and health insurance providers deciding whether or not to cover them. "I think it helps patients to know that if they go through these elective surgeries - even if they're not feeling `bad' at the time - they're likely to see dramatic improvements in health."