Start date: 2023
Award: £57,006
Status: Active
What issue does this study address?
Emergency General Surgery (EGS) is an umbrella term for emergency operations for conditions affecting the bowel and abdomen. This includes bowel cancer (1 in 5 patients with bowel cancer present first as an emergency) and benign conditions such as appendicitis, hernia and diverticulitis. This large patient population requires prompt assessment and decision-making as the risk of death is over nine higher than for planned surgery, and the outcomes for older, frailer patients are even worse. Research into the EGS patient population is sparse making it a key priority area to be studied.
What are the aims of this study?
This research project explores patient priorities when undergoing EGS by interviewing patients and their families about their experiences of EGS, their regrets and quality of life after their operation. The student will then map these findings against a national database of patient outcomes to identify any patterns.
This work will be used to produce resources to help patients and their families/carers make informed decisions about these operations in the future.
The research team
The supervisor of this project is Professor Susan Moug, a Consultant General Surgeon based at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Glasgow.
Hear from the PhD student, Dr Rachel John Charles, about why this research is important for patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery:
This project is part of the “Hard to Fund” Fund portfolio.