Functional assessment of the patients with perineal and vestibular fistula treated by anterior sagittal anorectoplasty

Classification and Surgical Management of Anorectal Malformations: A Systematic Review and Evidence-based Guideline From the APSA Outcomes and Evidence-based Practice Committee

OBJECTIVE

Treatment of neonates with anorectal malformations (ARMs) can be challenging due to variability in anatomic definitions, multiple approaches to surgical management, and heterogeneity of reported outcomes. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize existing evidence, identify treatment controversies, and provide guidelines for perioperative care.

METHODS

The American Pediatric Surgical Association Outcomes and Evidence Based Practice Committee (OEBP) drafted five consensus-based questions regarding management of children with ARMs. These questions were related to categorization of ARMs and optimal methods and timing of surgical management. A comprehensive search strategy was performed, and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to perform the systematic review to attempt to answer five questions related to surgical care of ARM.

RESULTS

A total of 10,843 publications were reviewed, of which 90 were included in final recommendations, and some publications addressed more than one question (question: 1 n = 6, 2 n = 63, n = 15, 4 n = 44). Studies contained largely heterogenous groups of ARMs, making direct comparison for each subtype challenging and therefore, no specific recommendation for optimal surgical approach based on outcomes can be made. Both loop and divided colostomy may be acceptable methods of fecal diversion for patients with a diagnosis of anorectal malformation, however, loop colostomies have higher rates of prolapse in the literature reviewed. In terms of timing of repair, there did not appear to be significant differences in outcomes between early and late repair groups. Clear and uniform definitions are needed in order to ensure similar populations of patients are compared moving forward. Recommendations are provided based primarily on A-D levels of evidence.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence-based best practices for ARMs are lacking for many aspects of care. Multi-institutional registries have made progress to address some of these gaps. Further prospective and comparative studies are needed to improve care and provide consensus guidelines for this complex patient population.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3

Laparoscopic-Assisted Anorectoplasty for Rectovestibular Fistula: A Comparison Study with Anterior Sagittal Anorectoplasty

BACKGROUND

 Posterior or anterior sagittal anorectoplasty (ASARP) is the mainstream for correcting rectovestibular fistula (RVF). However, the intermediate RVF has the potential risk of wound complications when applying ASARP due to its high rectal pouch, long fistula tract, and difficulty separating the rectum and vagina. We developed laparoscopic-assisted anorectoplasty (LAARP) for surgical correction of RVF, which has acceptable preliminary outcomes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of LAARP in comparison with ASARP for patients with RVF.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

 Twenty-five patients with RVF who underwent LAARP between October 2017 and December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. The outcomes were compared with 43 patients who underwent ASARP between April 2015 and August 2018. The age, weight at operation, sacral ratio, operative time, and postoperative hospital stay were evaluated. The results were assessed for complications, perineum appearance, and bowel function.

RESULTS

 The two groups were comparable in terms of demographics. The median operative time of the LAARP group was significantly longer than that of the ASARP group (113 vs. 95 minutes; p = 0.015). The mean length of the resected rectum in the LAARP group was also longer than that in the ASARP group (6.75 ± 5.07 vs. 3.31 ± 3.06 cm; p = 0.001). Compared with the LAARP group, complications in the ASARP group were more frequent (4.0 vs. 27.9%, p = 0.036). No intraoperative or postoperative wound-related complications occurred in the LAARP group. However, in the ASARP group, one patient had an intraoperative vaginal injury and four had postoperative anastomosis-related complications. The incidence of redo operation in the ASARP group was significantly higher than that in the LAARP group (p = 0.000). Cosmetic satisfaction was higher in the LAARP group (96.0 vs. 76.7%; p < 0.05). In terms of voluntary bowel movement, soiling, and constipation, the LAARP group had similar results compare with the ASARP group.

CONCLUSION

 The LAARP technique has shown several unique strengths in treating intermediate type RVF, including lower risks of complications, and minimal muscular injury, with a comparable bowel function.

Single-stage procedures for anorectal malformations: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study is to describe all published studies of single-stage procedures for anorectal malformations and to perform a meta-analysis of studies that compared single-stage to staged procedures.

METHODS

Searches were conducted in Pubmed, Medline, Embase and CENTRAL. Meta-analysis was performed in RevMan and expressed as forest plots with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

Thirty-eight studies were included in the narrative synthesis. Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis, representing 537 patients. The majority (70%) of patients included in this meta-analysis had either perineal or vestibular fistulas. Surgical site infection (SSI) was defined as any reported infection involving the neoanus (both superficial infection and dehiscence) and occurred in 51 of the 291 patients who underwent single-stage procedures, and 26 of the 244 patients who underwent staged procedure. Meta-analysis showed a 2.2 times higher risk of surgical site infection (SSI) amongst patients who undergo single-stage procedures (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.26, 3.92). Six of the 293 patients (2%) who underwent single-stage procedures required a rescue ostomy for wound dehiscence. In LMIC the risk of wound dehiscence was three-fold higher in single-stage (36/202) compared to staged procedures (12/126) (OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.42, 6.63). In HIC there was no evidence of an increased risk of wound dehiscence in patients who underwent a single-stage (15/91) compared to a staged procedure (14/118) (OR 1.51, 95% CI 0.65, 3.51). There is no evidence of a difference between single-stage versus staged procedures with regards to functional outcomes including voluntary bowel movements (79/90 versus 111/128), soiling (24/165 versus 20/203) or constipation (27/90 versus 36/128).

CONCLUSION

This systematic review provides further evidence that single-stage procedures for selected patients with anorectal malformations are safe. Whilst there is evidence of an increased risk of SSI, this did not translate to a significant difference in long-term functional outcomes.

LEVELS OF EVIDENCE

Level II.

The Efficacy of Biofeedback Therapy for the Treatment of Fecal Incontinence After Soave Procedure in Children for Hirschsprung's Disease

Introduction: Hirschsprung's disease is a common digestive tract malformation in children, and the Soave procedure is one of the classic surgical methods for Hirschsprung's disease (HD). Fecal incontinence is one of the most common postoperative complications that can cause significant distress to the patients and their family, the incidence of which is 20% in a recent series. Biofeedback therapy (BFT) can be an effective treatment for managing anorectal disorders, but there has been little report of the efficacy of BFT for the treatment of fecal incontinence after the Soave procedure, and the main objective of this study is to evaluate it. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed postoperative fecal incontinence in 46 children who received the Soave procedure for HD and who received BFT at our institution from March 2016 to February 2020, which included 38 males and 8 females (mean age 8.1 years, from 3.7 to 14 years). Anal sphincter contraction training was performed using BFT for 10 days per session in the hospital, one time each day, and 20 min each time. BFT was performed by employing visual and verbal feedback techniques using the biofeedback instrument. Long-term functional outcomes were objectively assessed using the Rintala Bowel Function Score (RBFS), and the patients were scored according to the sum total as excellent (18-20 points, 0 case), good (11-16 points, 0 case), fair (9-11 points, 9 cases), or poor (6-9 points, 37 cases). Defecation questionnaires and anorectal manometry were completed pretreatment and after three, six, or nine sessions, and primary outcome measures of anorectal manometry were anal maximal contraction pressure (AMCP), anal longest contraction time (ALCT), rectal rest pressure (RRP), and anal rest pressure (ARP). Results: Followed up from 6 months to 4 years, the symptoms of fecal incontinence disappeared completely in 39 (84.78%) patients. Among them, 14 (30.43%) had complete disappearance of symptoms after 3 sessions of treatment, 25 (54.34%) patients had improved symptoms after 6 sessions of treatment, symptoms completely disappeared after 6 sessions of treatment, and 7 (15.22%) cases still suffered fecal incontinence mildly. The AMCP after three and six sessions in the poor group was significantly increased compared with that before treatment [(85.87 ± 31.75) mmHg vs. (135.33 ± 37.69) mmHg vs. (128.41 ± 33.45) mmHg, P < 0.05]. The ALCT and ARP showed the same trend, while the RRP after three and six sessions were not significant (P > 0.05). The mean (±SD) score of the RBFS increased from 9 to 17.40 ± 0.84 in the fair group, while it increased from 7.22 ± 0.76 to 16.58 ± 1.66 in the poor group after six sessions (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Biofeedback therapy is a safe and effective treatment of fecal incontinence after the Soave procedure of children for Hirschsprung's disease. It is beneficial to design the individualized treatment programs for the children with varying degrees of fecal incontinence.

Laparoscopic-assisted anorectoplasty for intermediate type rectovestibular fistula: a preliminary report

PURPOSE

Laparoscopic-assisted anorectoplasty (LAARP) is considered to benefit the male patients with anorectal malformation (ARM). This study evaluates LAARP management for intermediate type rectovestibular fistula (IRVF) in the female patient with ARM.

METHODS

Twelve patients with IRVF (aged 3-5 months) underwent LAARP from 2017 to 2019 in our institute. LAARP was performed for mobilization of the rectum, visualization and enlargement of the center of the sphincter muscle complex (SMC) from pelvic and perineal aspects, intra-fistula mucosectomy and rectal pull-through in the SMC with the fourchette and the perineal body unattached.

RESULTS

LARRP was performed in all patients without conversion to open procedure. No patient suffered from wound infection, vaginal injury, recurrent fistula and anal stenosis. The parents were satisfied with the appearance of the wound. Rectal prolapse developed in one patient and needed surgical correction. The patients were followed up for a mean of 19.7 months (ranged from 12 to 35 months).

CONCLUSION

Our preliminary experience shows that LAARP offers an alternative method of correction for the IRVF with good visualization of the SMC and may diminish the risks of wound dehiscence and vaginal injury.