Stabilization period after 1-stage transanal endorectal pull-through operation for Hirschsprung disease

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Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate postoperative outcomes and to find the period required for normal stooling pattern after the 1-stage transanal endorectal pull-through operation (TERPT). Method The authors retrospectively reviewed the clinical data and postoperative courses of 61 patients who had the aganglionic bowel confined to rectosigmoid and underwent TERPT between 2001 and 2007. Results Thirty-three patients (54.1%) were neonates, and 56 patients (91.8%) were less than 6 months old at operation. The mean age at TERPT was 90 ± 216 days, and the mean body weight at TERPT was 4.5 ± 2.8 kg. The average operating time was 189 ± 49 minutes, and mean length of bowel resection was 11.1 ± 3.2 cm. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 8.0 ± 3.6 days. Postoperatively, 5 (8.2%) patients were considered as failure of TERPT because of persistent problems in defecation. Fifty-six (91.8%) patients finally had normal stooling patterns and normal findings in abdominal radiography after 9.4 ± 6.2 weeks of the mean postoperative stabilization period. Neonatal cases had significantly longer postoperative stabilization periods than nonneonatal cases (11.3 ± 6.9 weeks vs 7.3 ± 4.6 weeks, P = .016). The postoperative stabilization period significantly decreased by age at operation as the patient's age increased ( P = .018). Conclusion Clinical outcomes after TERPT are satisfactory, but a postoperative stabilization period is required for a normal stooling pattern to develop. The outcome of TERPT should consider a postoperative stabilization period.