Change in functional bowel symptoms after prostatectomy: a case-control study

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional bowel disorder that up to 20% of the population is suffering from it. Also benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common problem that approximately 90 percent of men may be affected by this condition until the eighth decade of their life. Prostatectomy as a surgery and pelvic intervention can cause IBS. METHODS: It was a case-control study including 66 patients in 2 case groups and 66 patients in 2 control groups. Case groups were patients who underwent open prostatectomy and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and control groups were patients who were candidate for prostatectomy. RESULTS: Ten patients in case groups and five patients in control groups had IBS. There was no significant difference in IBS between control and case groups (p = 0.117). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first forward study regarding bowel symptom changes following prostatectomy. The main positive finding of this study is that open prostatectomy was followed by significant increase in diarrhea and bowel habit alternation associated with onset of abdominal pain. Specifically the change was found after open operation but not after TURP. Prostatectomy whether in form of open or transurethral may cause onset of abdominal discomfort and bowel habit change.