Elsevier

The Lancet

Volume 353, Supplement 1, April 1999, Pages S31-S32
The Lancet

Supplement
Surgery of anorectal incontinence

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(99)90230-1Get rights and content

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Stomas

Anorectal incontinence affects all ages. About 500 babies a year are born in the UK with anorectal agenesis, which requires either a colonic pull-through procedure or, more commonly, a posterior saggital anorectoplasty,2 which restores normal anatomy but commonly leaves the child incontinent. Although the incontinence may not be such a problem in the early years, it is quite devastating when the child reaches school age and is even worse during adolescence. Paediatric surgeons have tried to

Neosphincters

The commonest cause of incontinence among women is childbirth. Sultan et al5 found that 13% of primigravidae and 23% of multigravidae had some degree of incontinence in the first 6 weeks after delivery, and MacArthur et al6 reported that up to 2 years later 4% still had the symptom. Physiological study by use of manometry sphincter electromyography, and endoluminal ultrasonography will generally reveal the cause. Thus a defect in the external sphincter can be identified by endo-anal

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