Abdominal and pelvic surgeries in patients with irritable bowel syndrome – the possible relevance of their associated psychiatric and psychological symptoms
Abdominal and pelvic surgeries in patients with irritable bowel syndrome – the possible relevance of their associated psychiatric and psychological symptoms

Summary/Abstract: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by a chronic functional disorder of the gastrointestinal system. Despite the efforts, to this day no biomarker has been found, so IBS is still only diagnosed clinically. Patients suffering from IBS receive disproportionately high rates of pelvic and abdominal surgeries. In the present article we reviewed the available literature regarding three of the most common surgical procedures (appendectomy, cholecystectomy and hysterectomy) which are associated with IBS symptoms. The mechanisms through which IBS may predispose to these disorders are still to be elucidated. However, it has been speculate that patients suffering from IBS often present hypersensitivity for visceral sensation. This hypersensitivity may explain why IBS is leading to possible misdiagnosis of appendicitis. In addition, constipation and a specific subtype of IBS- pain were more common in individuals who underwent hysterectomy. An explanation on the observed high rate of cholecystectomy in IBS population is related to the gastrointestinal disturbances and abdominal pain that is fairly common after cholecystectomy. We recommend that the history of IBS is taken into consideration before performing any pelvic or abdominal surgery. CT scans should also be performed in these groups of patients especially if these patients also suffer from IBS. Also the psychiatric and psychological relevance of their symptoms (which are quite commune in IBS, as our group previously described) is discussed in the present context.

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