Transperineal rectocele repair is ideal for patients presenting with fecal incontinence

Abstract

Purpose Rectocele can be associated with both obstructed defecation and fecal incontinence. There exists a great variety of operative techniques to treat patients with rectocele. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome in a consecutive series of patients who underwent transperineal repair of rectocele when presenting with fecal incontinence as the predominant symptom. Methods Twenty-three consecutive patients from April 2000 to July 2015 with symptomatic rectocele underwent transperineal repair by a single surgeon. Results All patients had a history of vaginal delivery, with or without evidence of associated anal sphincter injury at the time. The median age of the cohort was 53 years (range, 21–90 years). None were fully continent preoperatively. However, continence improved to just rare mucus soiling or loss of flatus in all patients 6 months after their surgery. There was no operative mortality. Postoperative complications including urinary retention and wound dehiscence occurred in 3 patients. Conclusion Fecal incontinence associated with rectocele is multifactorial and may be caused by preexisting anal sphincteric damage and attenuation. Our experience suggests that transperineal repair provides excellent anatomic and physiologic results with minimal morbidity in selected patients presenting with combined rectocele and anal sphincter defect.

Keywords

• rectocele
• anal sphincter injury
• transperineal rectocele repair
• overlapping sphincter repair