Transanal rectal mucosectomy and partial internal anal sphincterectomy for Hirschsprung's disease

Update on the Pathogenesis of the Hirschsprung-Associated Enterocolitis

Despite the significant progress that has been made in terms of understanding the pathophysiology and risk factors of Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis (HAEC), the morbidity rate has remained unsatisfactorily stable, and clinical management of the condition continues to be challenging. Therefore, in the present literature review, we summarized the up-to-date advances that have been made regarding basic research on the pathogenesis of HAEC. Original articles published between August 2013 and October 2022 were searched in a number of databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The keywords "Hirschsprung enterocolitis", "Hirschsprung's enterocolitis", "Hirschsprung's-associated enterocolitis", and "Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis" were selected and reviewed. A total of 50 eligible articles were obtained. The latest findings of these research articles were grouped into gene, microbiome, barrier function, enteric nervous system, and immune state categories. The present review concludes that HAEC is shown to be a multifactorial clinical syndrome. Only deep insights into this syndrome, with an accrual of knowledge in terms of understanding its pathogenesis, will elicit the necessary changes that are required for managing this disease.

Long-term Bowel function and pediatric health-related quality of life after transanal rectal mucosectomy and partial internal anal sphincterectomy pull-through for Hirschsprung Disease

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to define controlled outcomes for bowel function and quality of life (QoL) after transanal rectal mucosectomy and partial internal anal sphincterectomy pull-through (TRM-PIAS, A modified Swenson procedure) for Hirschsprung disease (HD).

BACKGROUND

We have previously shown that a novel modification of transanal rectal mucosectomy and partial internal anal sphincterectomy (TRM-PIAS, A modified procedure) for Hirschsprung disease have the advantage of low postoperative Hirschsprung associated enterocolitis. The controlled long-term follow-up studies evaluating Bowel Function Score (BFS) and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQoL, age <18 years) remain unclear.

METHODS

Between Jan 2006 and Jan 2016, 243 Patients underwent TRM-PIAS older than 4 years were included, while experienced redo surgery because of complication were excluded. Patients were compared with age- and gender-matched 244 healthy children each randomly selected from the 405 general population. The enrollee was investigated for questionnaires on BFS and PedsQoL.

RESULTS

One hundred and ninety-nine (81.9%) patients' representatives for the entire study population responded. The mean age of patients was 84.4 months (48-214 months). Compared with controls, patients reported impairment of hold back defecation, fecal soiling, and the urge to defecate (P < 0.05), and no significantly different in fecal accidents, constipation and social problems. With advancing age, the total BFS of HD patients improved, with a tendency close to the normal level beyond 10 years old. But, after grouped according to presence or absence of HAEC, the non-HAEC group experienced more dramatic improvement with age increasing.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with matched peers, significant impairment of fecal control prevails after TRM-PIAS in HD patients, but bowel function improve with age and recovery faster than conventional procedure. It should be emphasized that post-enterocolitis is a high-risk factor for delayed recovery.

Treatment of postoperative intestinal dysfunction of hirschsprung's disease based on the principle of "anorectal balance"

PURPOSE

Radical surgery is the most effective treatment for Hirschsprung's disease. However, some children still have symptoms of intestinal dysfunction such as constipation, abdominal distension, and recurrent enterocolitis after operation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate treatment outcomes of postoperative intestinal dysfunction in children with Hirschsprung's disease by using the principle of "anorectal balance".

METHODS

The clinical data of postoperative intestinal dysfunction in children with Hirschsprung's disease in the single treatment group from July 2019 to July 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. All the enrolled children underwent botulinum toxin injection (2.5 U/kg); 3 to 6 months later, the injection was performed again; the children who had received more than two botulinum toxin injections underwent the internal sphincter myectomy. Anorectal manometry was performed routinely after operation, and abdominal distension and defecation were recorded.

RESULTS

A total of thirty children with postoperative intestinal dysfunction underwent radical surgery for Hirschsprung's disease were included in this study. Symptoms of constipation, abdominal distension and enterocolitis were improved after botulinum toxin injections in most children compared to before surgery (P < 0.01). After re-injection of botulinum toxin in twelve children, the frequency of defecation increased, the anal resting pressure decreased, and the clinical symptoms were relieved again (P < 0.05). Eleven children underwent internal sphincter myectomy, and the symptoms of constipation, abdominal distension and enterocolitis were significantly improved after the operation (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Botulinum toxin injection and internal sphincter myectomy based on the principle of "anorectal balance" can effectively reduce the resting pressure of the anus and relieve intestinal dysfunction, and have satisfactory clinical effect.

Forty-Year Experience Alleviating Postoperative Hirschsprung-Associated Enterocolitis by Complete Full-Thickness Posterior Rectal Cuff Excision. The Anorectal Line Eliminates Problematic Anastomoses

Introduction: A modified pull-through (PT) distinguished by complete full-thickness removal of the posterior rectal cuff, initially developed as an open procedure in 1980, has been performed with laparoscopic assistance since 1997. Postoperative bowel dysfunction improved when the anatomic landmark for PT surgery was revised from the dentate line (DL) to the anorectal (or Herrmann's) line (ARL) in 2007. A 40-year (1980-2019) review of 153 consecutive rectal/rectosigmoid type Hirschsprung's disease (HD) patients is presented. Methods: Data for postoperative bowel dysfunction and Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis (HAEC) classified according to the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) scale were obtained retrospectively. Results: PT was open (n = 43) and laparoscopic (n = 110). Dissection was DL (n = 57) and ARL (n = 96). Over 40 years, 5/153 patients (3.3%) had postoperative obstructive symptoms (POS), and 10/153 patients (6.5%) had 13 episodes of postoperative HAEC; APSA grades were: I (n = 4); II (n = 8); and III: (n = 1) presenting with explosive diarrhea (10/13; 76.9%), fever (10/13; 76.9%), abdominal distension (9/13; 69.2%), or bloody stools/shock (1/13 with grade III; 7.7%). The grade III case had histologically-proven transitional zone PT. Postoperative HAEC developed in 3/5 (60.0%) POS+ patients and 7/148 (4.7%) POS- patients (P = .002). Symptom duration and treatment were not correlated with APSA grades. Conclusions: Complete full-thickness posterior rectal cuff excision and using the ARL reduced postoperative HAEC significantly in this series. Despite being anatomically distinct, the DL is inadequate as a precise landmark for PT surgery because it lacks functional relevance. The APSA scale could benefit from timely review to improve its clinical and prognostic value.

Surgical approach and functional outcome of redo pull-through for postoperative complications in Hirschsprung's disease

AIM

To review our surgical experience and outcome of redo pull-through for various postoperative complications of Hirschsprung's disease.

METHODS

A retrospective study was performed on children who underwent redo pull-through from 2016 to 2019. Operative methods and functional outcomes were compared between those with anastomotic complications (stricture and fistula, n = 12) and patients without anastomotic complications (n = 24) such as residual aganglionosis/transition zone, twisted pull-through and tight soave cuff.

RESULT

36 Patients (29 male and 7 female) were included with median age 6 (0.1-54) months at primary and 36 (9-144) months at redo pull-through. A transanal rectal mucosectomy and partial internal anal sphincterectomy (TRM-PIAS) pull-through with laparoscopic (n = 10, 27.8%) or laparotomy (n = 26, 72.2%) assisted techniques were performed for all patients during redo procedure. Patients with anastomotic complications had lower incidence of successful laparoscopic pull-through (0%), higher postoperative complications (25%) after redo surgery, but similar functional outcomes compared to those without anastomotic complications (41.6% underwent laparoscopic surgery, 4.2% complications). Patients with partial colectomy had significantly less soiling (36.4%) and enterocolitis (0%) compared to those with subtotal/total colectomy (79.2% soiling and 58.3% enterocolitis).

CONCLUSION

TRM-PIAS with/without laparoscopic-assisted redo pull-through was effective in treating various complications after primary pull-through. The functional outcome is strongly associated with the length of residual colon after redo pull-though.

Identifying Information Needs for Hirschsprung Disease Through Caregiver Involvement via Social Media: A Prioritization Study and Literature Review

Background

Patient and public involvement in health research is important to produce relevant and impactful results.

Objective

This paper aimed to prioritize and summarize Hirschsprung disease (HD)–related information needs among caregivers of children with HD and pediatric surgeons through partnership with a parent-initiated social media campaign.

Methods

We conducted a Web-based survey with the 2 stakeholder groups to identify information needs. The caregiver survey was conducted through a global Web-based community, and the surgeon survey was distributed to members of the Canadian Association of Paediatric Surgeons (CAPS). We conducted a literature review to identify evidence on the prioritized topics.

Results

Our findings showed that 54.9% (89/162) of the individuals completed the caregiver survey and 23.8% (52/218 listed members) of the pediatric surgeons completed the survey distributed through CAPS. Only 20% (18/89) of the caregivers reported being very satisfied or satisfied with the current HD-related resources. A final prioritized list of information needs included bowel management, nutrition and growth, infection, perianal irritation, gastrointestinal pain, surgical diagnostics, and surgical complications. In total, 87 studies were included in the literature review, which included the following: 8 reviews, 2 randomized controlled trials, 74 cohort studies, and 3 practice guidelines. Two priority issues identified by caregivers had only a single study that met the inclusion criteria, whereas 1 topic had none.

Conclusions

With caregiver and surgeon input, we identified 7 information priority areas related to HD. A review of the literature on the priorities found little evidence to support the development of high-quality guidelines. More research is necessary to meet the information needs related to HD as identified by stakeholders.

Transanal endorectal stepwise gradient muscular cuff cutting pull-through method: Technique refinements and comparison with laparoscopy-assisted procedures

In all existing radical resection procedures available for Hirschprung's disease (HD), the muscular cuff has been retained. In recent years, our study group has modified the procedure using a stepwise gradient muscular cuff cutting pull-through method for the treatment of HD. The objective of the present study was to assess patient prognosis following the use of the transanal endorectal pull-through (TEPT) method or the laparoscopy-assisted pull-through (LPT) method and to provide evidence to assist in clinical decisions. The medical records of 172 patients (age, ≥3 years) who underwent TEPT or LPT for HD between September 2003 and August 2014 at the Pediatric Surgery Department of The Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College (Zunyi, China) were reviewed (TEPT, n=94; LPT, n=78). Preoperative, intraoperative and post-operative data for the subjects involved were recorded. Each patient's family was interviewed using a uniform 12-item post-pull-through long-term outcome questionnaire, which was scored in order to compare the short and long-term treatment outcomes of patients in each group. Patients in the LPT group had significantly prolonged operating times, reduced intraoperative blood loss and perioperative transfusion rates and shorter anal dissection times. Furthermore, the oral feeding time and length of hospital stay were similar between groups. There were no significant differences in early complications between the groups. No significant differences in late complications, including anastomotic stricture and enterocolitis were observed; however, the soiling and constipation rates were significantly higher in the TEPT group compared with the LPT group. The stool pattern score was not significantly different between groups, while the frequency of bowel movements in the LPT group was significantly higher compared with the TEPT group from 9-24 months post-surgery. The stepwise gradient muscular cuff cutting pull-through method demonstrated a good safety profile and efficacy with regard to the long-term outcomes of patients with HD. These results support the clinical application of LPT as a promising surgical approach for children with HD.

Single-stage transanal endorectal pull-through procedure for correction of Hirschsprung disease in neonates and nonneonates: A multicenter study

PURPOSE

The outcomes of single-stage transanal endorectal pull-through (SSTEPT) for Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) in young patients are favorable; however, reports have shown that diagnosis and surgery at young ages increase the risk for postoperative enterocolitis and slows postoperative recovery. The present study was primarily designed to evaluate the outcomes of SSTEPT in a multi-institutional cohort of neonates and nonneonates with HSCR.

METHODS

Between August 2005 and May 2012, a total of 650 children with HSCR were divided into the following two groups: group A (neonatal group, operative age<28days [n=186]); and group B (nonneonatal group, operative age>28days [n=464]). The short-term outcomes were postoperative enterocolitis, perianal excoriation, and anastomotic stricture and leakage rates. The midterm outcomes were incomplete continence and constipation rates based on multi-institutional chart review. Statistical analyses were performed using chi-square (χ²) tests.

RESULTS

Follow-up was completed in 112 neonates and 303 nonneonates. Short-term outcomes indicated a higher incidence of perianal excoriation (27.6% vs. 6.6%, χ²=33.70, p<0.05), anastomotic strictures (14.3% vs. 6.0%, χ²=27.18, p<0.05), anastomotic leakage (8.0% vs. 1.7%, χ²=8.36, p<0.05), and postoperative enterocolitis (40.2% vs. 10.2%, χ²=49.05, p<0.05) in group A compared to group B. Midterm outcomes indicated a higher incidence of incomplete continence (35.7% vs. 14.9%, χ²=21.85, p<0.05) in group A compared to group B.

CONCLUSION

Performing single-stage transanal endorectal pull-through in the nonneonatal period may be more appropriate than the neonatal period. There were higher rates of perianal excoriation, anastomotic strictures and leakage, postoperative enterocolitis, and incomplete continence postoperatively in neonates than nonneonates.

The mid-term outcomes of TRM-PIAS, proctocolectomy and ileoanal anastomosis for total colonic aganglionosis

AIMS

The present study aimed to evaluate the mid-term outcomes of total colonic aganglionosis (TCA) after transanal rectal mucosectomy and partial internal anal sphincterectomy (TRM-PIAS), proctocolectomy and ileoanal anastomosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From 2012 to 2014, 12 patients (7 boys; 58.3 %) diagnosed with TCA and treated with the TRM-PIAS, proctocolectomy and ileoanal anastomosis. Seven TCA patients who underwent laparotomy-assisted endorectal pull-through (LEPT) between 2010 and 2012 were used as control group. Demographic features and complication of the two groups were evaluated. The functional outcomes were assessed by using a score system.

RESULTS

The procedure was successfully performed in all patients. The incidence of postoperative HAEC in the TRM-PIAS group was significantly lower (25.0 vs 85.7 %; p < 0.05) than control group within the second postoperative year. The number of bowel movement after 3, 12 and 24 months postoperatively, was 8.5 ± 3.5, 5.3 ± 2.9 and 3.1 ± 1.4 (p < 0.05) per day, respectively, in the TRM-PIAS group. The soiling was noted in 50.0 % (n = 6) of the patients in the 6th postoperative month, and 25.0 % (n = 3) in the 24th postoperative month in the TRM-PIAS group. There was no significant difference in overall functional outcome between two groups, but the TRM-PIAS group was better in terms of bowel movement and soiling.

CONCLUSION

TRM-PIAS, proctocolectomy and ileoanal anastomosis might be an effective treatment for TCA. More prospective studies evaluating the TRM-PIAS technique over longer period and with greater sample size are needed to confirm the findings in this study.