What factors prolong symptoms in patients with hemorrhoidal disease who require surgery?

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Hemorrhoidal disease is a common condition and may affect quality of life. Although it tends to respond to conservative treatment, some cases require surgery. The present study examined clinical and demographic factors associated with symptom duration in surgically treated patients, with no causal inference or predictive intent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hospital Universitario de Puebla on 56 patients who underwent hemorrhoidectomy (2019-2023). The factors of sex, age, smoking, constipation, BMI, and time to surgery were analyzed, employing descriptive statistics, linear regression, and K-Fold cross-validation. RESULTS: There was a significant association between sex and years of disease (p = 0.0427), with men having a mean 4.89 more years of disease than women (β = -4.89, 95% CI -9.61 to -0.17). There was a positive, non-significant association between age and years of disease (p = 0.0907). A significant inverse relation was identified between age at disease onset and years of disease (p < 0.001; β = -0.31, 95% CI -0.46 to -0.15), as well as a significant interaction between sex and age at onset (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Sex and age at disease onset were key factors associated with symptom duration in patients who underwent hemorrhoidectomy. Factors traditionally considered relevant, such as constipation and BMI, showed no significant association, highlighting the importance of considering complex interactions between clinical and demographic variables.