Long-term results of Rehbein's procedure: a retrospective study in German-speaking countries

Sexual function and lower urinary tract symptoms after minimally invasive endorectal pull-through in adolescent males with Hirschsprung disease

BACKGROUND

Effects of colorectal resection on sexual function and the lower urinary tract are inadequately studied in patients with Hirschsprung disease (HD). This study aimed to increase existing knowledge on sexual function and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in HD male adolescents operated with minimally invasive endorectal pull-through (ERPT).

METHODS

Non-syndromic male adolescents (12-18 years) operated with ERPT were invited to participate in this single-center cross-sectional study which included a semi-structured interview on sexual function and LUTS, a questionnaire recording LUTS, and a urodynamic study. Uroflowmetry curves were eligible for evaluation if the voided volume was >50% of expected bladder capacity. Ethical approval and informed consent were obtained.

RESULTS

Of 37 eligible male adolescents, 35 (95%) with a median age of 14.9 (12.0 -18.3) years were included. 94% had rectosigmoid aganglionosis, and 97% underwent a minimally invasive ERPT. 34 (97%) visited the outpatient clinic. The ability to get erections and to ejaculate was assessed in 25/35 (71%) adolescents. 25/25 (100%) could get an erection, and of adolescents ≥15 years 14/15 (93%) could ejaculate. 32 (91%) returned the questionnaire and underwent urodynamic studies. 15/32 (47%) reported LUTS, but most had only sporadic LUTS. 31/32 (97%) were highly satisfied with their bladder function. Sporadic urinary incontinence was reported by 4/32 (13%), but none reported social problems due to this. Of the eligible 28/32 (88%) uroflowmetry curves, 15/28 (54%) were normal.

CONCLUSIONS

Minimally invasive ERPT seems to preserve sexual function and does not induce lower urinary tract symptoms in adolescent HD males.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.

The Technique of Mobilization of the Colon for Pull-Through Procedure in Hirschsprung’s Disease

Background

In patients with Hirschsprung's disease (HD), persistent obstructive symptoms may develop after surgery. The causes of mechanical obstruction may be a retraction of the pulled-through bowel due to insufficient mobilization of the mesentery or impaired blood supply in the area of the coloanal anastomosis in the case of excessive ligation of the supplying vessels. Leakage and stenosis are formidable complications and require repeated surgical intervention.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to describe our experience and short-term results of the developed method: mobilization of the descending colon for its pull-through during the surgical treatment of the children with HD, which allows ensuring good mobility to the descending colon and maintaining blood supply at the same time.

Methods

The medical records of 20 patients with rectosigmoid HD, who underwent parietal mobilization of the descending colon with preservation of the marginal artery, sigmoid arteries, and ligation of the left colon artery, were reviewed. This method is aimed at increasing the mobility of the brought-down bowel and maintaining the blood supply to the distal part of the brought-down bowel not only from the superior mesenteric artery but also from the lower one.

The SPSS Statistics 26.0 package was used for statistical analysis. To describe the analyzed data with a normal distribution, the mean values and the error of the mean were used. To determine the differences, Student’s t-test was used, and the differences were considered significant at a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results

In all patients, the postoperative period was uneventful, without complications. The patients were discharged for outpatient treatment on average on the seventh day after the surgery. In all cases, there were no signs of anastomotic leakage or stricture on follow-up after 6–12 months.

Conclusion

The method of mobilization of the colon in the rectosigmoid form of HD, parietal mobilization of the descending part of the colon preserving the marginal artery, sigmoid arteries, and ligating the left colon artery, can reduce the risk of complications by eliminating the tension of the descending colon.

Hirschsprung Disease beyond Infancy

Hirschsprung disease (HD) is a common cause of neonatal intestinal obstruction in which a variable segment of the distal intestinal tract lacks the normal enteric nervous system elements. Affected individuals present with varying degrees of obstructive symptoms, but today most patients are diagnosed within the first several months of life owing to the well-recognized symptoms and the ease of making the diagnosis by way of the bedside suction rectal biopsy. Thus, for the adult general or colorectal surgeon, the vast majority of patients who present for evaluation will have already undergone surgical treatment within the first year of life by a pediatric surgeon. Despite several safe operative interventions to treat patients with HD, the long-term results are far from perfect. These patients may reach adult life with ongoing defecation disorders that require a systematic evaluation by a multidisciplinary group that should be led by a surgeon with a thorough knowledge of HD operations and the potential problems. The evaluation of these patients will form the basis for the majority of this review-however, some patients manage to escape diagnosis beyond the infant and childhood period-and a section herein will briefly address the case of an older patient who is suspected of having HD.

Urological and sexual outcome in patients with Hirschsprung disease: A systematic review

PURPOSE

There is a paucity of recent evidence regarding long-term urological and sexual outcomes following surgery for Hirschsprung disease (HD). We aimed to undertake a systematic review of all HD literature to define these outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted on studies from 1966 to 2014. Relevant articles were assessed for urological/sexual operative complications and functional sequelae. Studies were analysed in qualitative (Rangel score) and quantitative syntheses.

RESULTS

Initially 257 reports were assessed, with 24 studies were eligible for inclusion (1972-2014). Mean study quality was 16.5 ± SD 4.8 (range 6-23), indicating overall fair/poor quality. Ten studies (1021 patients) reported operative complications, with ureteric/urethral/vaginal injury occurring in seven (0.7%) patients. In three studies, the primary outcome was urological functional assessment. From 17 studies, 52/2546 patients (2.0%) had reported urinary incontinence. In infants, absent spontaneous erections post-operatively was reported in 3/203 patients (1.5%, 5 studies); of these 3, parents did not note spontaneous erections pre-operatively either. In older patients, erectile dysfunction occurred in 6/498 (1.2%) males. Other sexual outcomes were reported in 10 studies, with 5/10 studies (416 patients) reporting no erectile dysfunction. In the other studies reports ranged from non-specified sexual dysfunction in one study to diverse sexual related problems in nine (7.8%) of their patients in another.

CONCLUSIONS

Urological/sexual outcomes are rarely reported after HD surgery (24 studies over 42 years). Study quality is usually poor and a large proportion of the studies are more than 30 years old. In the majority of series it is unclear whether urological and sexual function impairments were not present or if they were not assessed. Prospective reporting of urological/sexual outcome is required, in particular in the era of new surgical techniques/approaches to HD.