The management of obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS): A national postal questionnaire survey in hospitals in the UK

Abstract

Obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) represent a serious morbidity that can cause short- and long-term consequences. It has attracted attention leading to the development of a national guideline by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). The aim of this study was to establish the current management of these injuries in hospitals across the UK. An anonymous self-construct questionnaire was posted to clinical directors/lead obstetricians in all hospitals in the UK and a total of 104 out of 233 (44.6%) questionnaires were returned. Over 90% of respondents’ hospitals had protocols that required repair in theatre, as well as the prescription of laxatives and antibiotics and included these injuries in the risk management list. More than half of the respondents’ hospitals did not have a dedicated perineal trauma clinic or used symptoms and quality of life questionnaires, endoanal scans or anal manometry routinely at follow-up. Over a third of respondents indicated that their units did not provide any training on repair of OASIS and did not have a multidisciplinary meeting involving colorectal surgeons. More effort is needed to improve all these aspects of care.