Standardized Method of the Thiersch Operation for the Treatment of Fecal Incontinence

Surgical approaches for complete rectal prolapse

Complete rectal prolapse, characterized by the protrusion of the rectal wall layers through the anal canal, poses significant treatment challenges, particularly due to controversies surrounding surgical approaches and the absence of a standardized assessment system. This study comprehensively reviews the main surgical techniques for complete rectal prolapse, categorized as transabdominal and transperineal/transanal procedures. Despite various techniques, challenges persist, including high recurrence rates and potential complications. Factors influencing the choice of the surgical approach include patient characteristics, symptomatology, and surgical expertise. With advances in medical technology, laparoscopic and robotic surgeries offer promising avenues, albeit with considerations of cost and accessibility. Ultimately, treatment plans tailored to the individual needs of the patient and surgical expertise are essential. Although controversies remain, the continued refinement of surgical techniques holds promise for improving outcomes in complete rectal prolapse surgery.

Controversies in Hirschsprung surgery

The treatment of Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is surgical resection of aganglionic bowel and subsequent pull-through of ganglionated bowel. Despite many advances since the initial description of the disease and its surgical management more than half a century ago, there remain considerable controversies regarding the history of the surgical technique, the optimal timing of the primary and multistage pull-through, the best treatment for patients with a delayed diagnosis of HSCR, and the management of post pull-through complications such as soiling due to sphincter incompetence, the presence of a transition zone, and the prevention of enterocolitis. The following review will explore each of these controversies.

Simple Anal Reinforcement with Anal Encirclement Using an Artificial Ligament in Patients with fecal Incontinence: A Single-center Observational Study

Objectives:

Surgical repair of anal sphincter defects in patients with fecal incontinence (FI) has been associated with excellent or good short-term results; however, its benefits have been shown to deteriorate over long-term follow-up. When sphincteroplasty fails or is not feasible, the subsequent surgical options are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of anal encirclement using the Leeds-Keio ligament in patients with FI.

Methods:

The inclusion criteria for the procedure were failure of or unsuitability for sphincteroplasty and the presence of a patulous anus (diameter, ≥35 mm). The artificial ligament was routed outside the external anal sphincter at the depth of the middle anal canal under caudal epidural anesthesia.

Results:

Fourteen patients (mean age, 79.4 years; 8 females) with FI were included. Of these, seven (50%) showed a ≥50% reduction in the Cleveland Clinic Florida Fecal Incontinence Score (CCFIS). The mean CCFIS of 13.6 at baseline significantly improved to 7.9 3 months after surgery. The mean maximal anal resting pressure significantly increased from 16.8 mmHg to 22.6 mmHg. Postoperatively, temporary fecal impaction was observed in one patient (7%). None of the cases required removal of the artificial ligament or additional operative interventions for FI during the mean follow-up period of 31.9 months.

Conclusions:

Anal encirclement using the Leeds-Keio ligament was technically simple and safe and achieved good short-term outcomes. Therefore, this technique appears to be a simple solution for sphincter defects and may become an important surgical option for patients with FI and a patulous anus.

Perineal stapled prolapse resection in combination with Thiersch operation for relapsed rectal prolapse: a case report

Background

Treatment options for complete rectal prolapse include over 100 procedures. In previous reports, operative rectal prolapse repair, regardless of the technique by perineal approach, was associated with high recurrence rates. However, there is no consensus on the optimal surgical procedure for relapsed rectal prolapse.

Case presentation

A 97-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a chief complaint of complete rectal prolapse measuring > 5 cm. The patient had a history of laparoscopic anterior suture rectopexy without sigmoid resection under general anesthesia for complete rectal prolapse one year prior. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful. However, her dementia worsened (Hasegawa’s dementia scale: 5/30 points) after the first operation. Further, moderate-to-severe aortic valve stenosis was first diagnosed with heart failure 6 months after the operation. Nine months after the initial surgery, she experienced a recurrence of complete rectal prolapse measuring approximately 5 cm. Considering the coexistence of advanced age, severe dementia, and aortic valve stenosis, surgery under general anesthesia was not indicated. Perineal stapled prolapse resection in combination with the t operation was planned because of its minimal invasiveness and shortened hospital stay. The procedure was performed by a team of two surgeons in the jack knife position, under spinal anesthesia.

The prolapse was cut along the long-axis direction with three linear staplers and resected along the short-axis direction with four linear staplers. The cross-section of the linear stapler was reinforced with 3-0 Vicryl sutures. After rectal resection, the Thiersch operation using 1-0 nylon thread 1 cm away from the anal verge was additionally performed. The operative time was 24 min, and intraoperative blood loss was 1 mL. The postoperative course was uneventful. Three months after the operation, no recurrence was observed, and defecation function was good with improvements of Wexner score.

Conclusions

Perineal stapled prolapse resection in combination with the Thiersch operation could be a useful option for patients with relapsed rectal prolapse and with poor general condition, who are not indicated for other surgical procedures.

A technique to reconstruct the anal sphincters following iatrogenic stretching related to a pull-through for Hirschsprung disease

Soiling and fecal incontinence are troubling complications which can occur after a pull-through for Hirschsprung disease. They can usually be improved with proper medical management, but in some cases are the result of an anatomic defect related to overstretching of the sphincters and/or damage of the anal canal. For such patients the treatment of this true fecal incontinence is limited to a structured bowel management program with ante- or retrograde enemas to achieve social continence. Herein we report two such patients with overstretched sphincters and loss of the dentate line after an initial pull-through and describe a sphincter tightening technique to improve bowel control.