Female sex function after aortic surgery

Objective: To determine the incidence of sexual dysfunction in women after abdominal aortic surgery in a questionnaire based study. Patients: A total of 100 women (aged 46–96, median 75 years) who had aortic grafts during 1990–1994. Methods: Patients were traced and their social circumstances determined. An initial approach was made by letter, and questionnaires were sent to women who were willing to participate at 1 year or more after their operation. Results: Sixty-nine patients were found to be ineligible because they had died (39), recently been widowed (15), become seriously unwell or untraceable (15). Of the remaining 31, only eight were willing to answer a detailed questionnaire about sexual function, and seven did so: four had maintained good sexual function, and three had experienced deterioration since surgery (but in two there had been some improvement over a period of months). Conclusions: Assessing any possible effect of aortic surgery on sexual function in women is most difficult, because of the age and circumstances of many patients, and a general reluctance of patients to answer explicit questions about their sexual function. Although this study fails to provide any clear evidence of adverse effects, it focuses attention on a neglected yet potentially important subject.