Anorectal function after abdominal rectopexy

✍ Scribed by P. J. Holdsworth; P. J. Finan

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 67 KB
• Volume: 76
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0007-1323
• DOI: 10.1002/bjs.1800761138

✦ Synopsis

on anorectal function after abdominal rectopexy and would like to concur with their findings.

In a prospective study of 6 incontinent patients with rectal prolapse studied manometrically before and after abdominal rectopexy, we have found that there is no statistically significant change in resting anal pressure after operation. Furthermore, the majority of patients obtained a marked improvement in anal continence despite a significant reduction in rectal capacity.

Our results and those of Yoshioka et al. would suggest that recovery of internal anal sphincter tone, as suggested by Broden et al., is not the reason why continence improves after rectopexy'. We feel that abdominal rectopexy is a safe method for treating patients with full thickness rectal prolapse which has a low recurrence rate and provides good clinical results. The improvement in anal continence is probably related to a number of factors; we suggest that the constipation frequently encountered in patients after rectopexy plays a major role in this aspect of the functional outcome.