Rectal Internal Mucosal Prolapse Research Articles

Tailoring surgery for obstructed defecation syndrome to the ‘iceberg diagram’: Long-term results

BackgroundPatients with obstructed defecation syndrome may present with a wide spectrum of disorders. The iceberg diagram, which focuses on the underlying occult diseases, has been proposed for an accurate diagnosis. The iceberg diagram deals with lesions, which, if neglected, may worsen the prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of using the iceberg diagram on the clinical results. MethodsPatients operated for obstructed defecation syndrome based on the iceberg diagram between 2008 and 2018 were evaluated pre- and postsurgery. All patients underwent psychosomatic assessment, abdominal and perineal examination, proctoscopy, vaginoscopy, transanal ultrasound, and defecography. Postoperative complications were also evaluated. ResultsOf the 80 operated patients, 73 were females; median age was 47 (range 26–78) years. All had a rectal internal mucosal prolapse and 85% had a rectocele. The most frequent occult diseases were functional (mental distress [46%]) or organic (colpo-cysto-enterocele [44%]). Surgery was tailored according to the iceberg diagram with prolapsectomy and rectocele repair the most commonly used among 8 different procedures. A total of 14% of patients had a postoperative complication. Median follow-up was 72 months. Obstructed defecation syndrome score significantly decreased from 10.5 ± 4.8 (mean + standard deviation) to 3.4 ± 3.6 (P < .01) and 68% of patients reported to be either improved or cured. ConclusionThe use of the iceberg diagram in obstructed defecation syndrome patients assists in identifying latent “submerged lesions’ that may negatively impact the functional outcome of surgery. A clinical approach to patients with obstructed defecation syndrome tailored according to the iceberg diagram allows the identification of occult lesions and to achieve good long-term results.

PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLE TRAINING USING BIOFEEDBACK THERAPY VERSUS BILATERAL POSTERIOR TIBIAL NERVE STIMULATION FOR TREATMENT OF OBSTRUCTED DEFECATION A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS) is a type of constipation characterized by two or more of the following symptoms in more than 25 percent of defecation trials: straining, lumpy or hard stools, urgency, sense of incomplete evacuation, pelvic heaviness and manual maneuvers to promote defecation.obstructed defecation is of two basic types: functional and mechanical. The functional type involves idiopathic megarectum, anismus (pelvic floor dys-synergy), and descending perineal syndrome, while the mechanical type includes rectocele, enterocele, internal rectal intussusception and overt rectal prolapse.An excessive straining is likely to be the “primummovens”, causing tissue weakness and organ descent, and often is due to longterm anxiety, muscle tension and resulting in non-relaxing puborectalis muscle. The increased straining causes pudendal nerve stretch which may lead to a pudendal neuropathy which affects the rectal sensations.ODS has been also defined as an “iceberg syndrome”, as the two most frequent lesions, i.e., rectocele and rectal internal mucosal prolapse, present in more than 90% of patients with ODS, are easily detectable and may be considered “emerging rocks”, whereas the “surgical ship” is likely to “sink” due to the “underwater rocks”, i.e., the occult lesions.

Management of obstructed defecation.

The management of obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS) is mainly conservative and mainly consists of fiber diet, bulking laxatives, rectal irrigation or hydrocolontherapy, biofeedback, transanal electrostimulation, yoga and psychotherapy. According to our experience, nearly 20% of the patients need surgical treatment. If we consider ODS an "iceberg syndrome", with "emerging rocks", rectocele and rectal internal mucosal prolapse, that may benefit from surgery, at least two out of ten patients also has "underwater rocks" or occult disorders, such as anismus, rectal hyposensation and anxiety/depression, which mostly require conservative treatment. Rectal prolapse excision or obliterative suture, rectocele and/or enterocele repair, retrograde Malone's enema and partial myotomy of the puborectalis muscle are effective in selected cases. Laparoscopic ventral sacral colporectopexy may be an effective surgical option. Stapled transanal rectal resection may lead to severe complications. The Transtar procedure seems to be safer, when dealing with recto-rectal intussusception. A multidisciplinary approach to ODS provides the best results.

Rectal pocket syndrome following PPH and rectosigmoid resection

A 55-year-old woman had a PPH performed for rectal internal mucosal prolapse and rectocele. After surgery she continued to suffer from mucosal prolapse and obstructed defecation. In an attempt to remove the prolapse a second PPH was perfomed 2 years later. This was complicated by rectal lumen obliteration which was treated by a low anterior resection. Four years later she continued to have evacuatory disorders and proctalgia. On exam she was found to have a 5 cm deep rectal diverticulum with entrapped fecaliths at what appeared to be the site of the first PPH (Fig.1). She underwent laying open and

A modified Delorme’s operation for the treatment of rectal mucosal prolapse

Many procedures have been described for the treatment of rectal internal mucosal prolapse (RMP), but the therapeutic effect is questionable. This work is to evaluate clinical and functional outcome of a modified Delorme's operation-trans-anal purse-string sutures for rectal mucosa and submucosa (TAS) for the treatment of RMP. The clinical data of 58 patients with rectal mucosal prolapse treated with rectal mucosa and submucosal tissue (TAS) between June 2004 and June 2008 were analyzed retrospectively. No patient died. Satisfaction with surgery was high in 48 cases (82.8%), moderate in seven (12.1%), and low in three (5.17%). Prolapse relapse rate was 5.17%. Anal tenesmus and urge to defecate resolved in 52 (89.7%) patients. Constipation improved in 25 of 28 (89.3%) previously constipated patients. No surgery-associated constipation occurred. The mean operative time was 31 (range 22-46) min. Mean hospital stay was 3 days (range 2-6). Mean patient follow-up was 32 months (range 12-60). From our data, TAS for the treatment of RMP showed encouraging results with little complications and an acceptable relapse rate. This economical procedure induces only mild trauma and is easy to perform, making it worthy of further practice and investigation.

Stapled transanal rectal mucosectomy ten years after

Stapled mucosectomy (SM) was first proposed for the management of patients with rectal internal mucosal prolapse and obstructed defecation, but gained popularity worldwide for the treatment of hemorrhoids. The present review highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the operation. SM tends to decrease postoperative pain and shortens convalescence after hemorrhoid surgery, but may be followed by severe complications, e.g. rectal obliteration and pelvic sepsis requiring a diverting stoma, more frequently than after standard hemorrhoidectomy. Moreover it carries a higher recurrence rate in the treatment of fourth-degree piles. A recent Cochrane metaanalysis demonstrated that SM is less effective than standard hemorrhoidectomy since it carries a higher recurrence rate (OR=3.6) and reintervention rate (OR=2.3). When used for rectal mucosal prolapse and obstructed defecation, SM is reported to have variable results. A better outcome is likely to be achieved in patients without anismus and psychoneurosis operated on by specialists trained with this technique.

Ultrasonographic patterns in patients with obstructed defaecation

Anal ultrasound is helpful in assessing organic anorectal lesions, but its role in functional disease is still questionable. The purpose of the present study is to assess anal-vaginal-dynamic perineal ultrasonographic findings in patients with obstructed defecation (OD) and healthy controls. Ninety-two consecutive patients (77 women; mean age 51 years; range 21-71) with symptoms of OD were retrospectively evaluated. All patients underwent digital exploration, endoanal and endovaginal ultrasound (US) with rotating probe. Forty-one patients underwent dynamic perineal US with linear probe. Anal manometry and defaecography were performed in 73 and 43 patients, respectively. Ultrasonographic findings of 92 patients with symptoms of OD were compared to 22 healthy controls. Anismus was defined on US when the difference in millimetres between the distance of the inner edge of the puborectalis muscle posteriorly and the probe at rest and on straining was less then 5 mm. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated by assuming defaecography as the gold standard for intussusception and rectocele and proctoscopy for rectal internal mucosal prolapse. Since no gold standard for the diagnosis of anismus was available in the literature, the agreement between anal US and all other diagnostic procedures was evaluated. The incidence of anismus resulted significantly higher (P < 0.05) in OD patients than healthy controls on anal (48 vs 22%), vaginal (44 vs 21%), and dynamic perineal US (53 vs 22%). A significantly higher incidence of rectal internal mucosal prolapse was observed in OD patients when compared to healthy controls on both anal (61.9 vs 13.6%, P < 0.0001) and dynamic perineal US (51.2 vs.9% P = 0.001). For the diagnosis of rectal internal mucosal prolapse, anal US had a 100% sensitivity and specificity. For diagnosis of rectal intussusception, anal US had an 83.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity and perineal US had a 66.6% sensitivity and 100% specificity. In the diagnosis of anismus, anal ultrasonography resulted in agreement with perineal and vaginal US, manometry, defaecography, and digital exam (P < 0.05). Other lesions detected by US in patients with OD include solitary rectal ulcer, rectocele and enterocele. Damage of internal and/or external sphincter was diagnosed at anal US in 19/92 (20%) patients, all continent and with normal manometric values. Anal, vaginal and dynamic perineal ultrasonography can diagnose or confirm many of the abnormalities seen in patients with OD. The value of the information obtained by this non-invasive test and its role in the diagnostic algorithm of OD is yet to be defined.

Hemorrhoids and rectal internal mucosal prolapse: one or two conditions? A national survey

The surgical modalities for the treatment of hemorrhoids are quite numerous due to the rapid diffusion of new surgical techniques and to the different approaches to the pathophysiology of the disease by the proctologists. Stapled hemorrhoidopexy, one of the most recent surgical options proposed, emphasizes the role of rectal internal mucosal prolapse (RIMP) as the main cause of the disease. We performed a national survey among the most important proctologists on this particular clinical condition, in order to better define the indications for the surgical treatment of hemorrhoids. A questionnaire concerning the main clinical features of RIMP was mailed to 84 coloproctology centers. Two-thirds of the 41 proctologists who responded found RIMP in a minority of patients with hemorrhoids, whereas only one-third found RIMP in more than half of their patients. A circumferential RIMP was identified by only 10% of the surgeons, whereas a coincidence between pre- and postoperative diagnoses of this condition was possible in half of proctologists' patients. RIMP is not frequently associated with hemorrhoids. Therefore, it is unlikely to be a cause of hemorrhoidal disease, and many surgeons still recognize it as a difficult clinical condition to define.

Complications and recurrence after excision of rectal internal mucosal prolapse for obstructed defaecation

Rectal internal mucosal prolapse (RIMP) may cause obstructed defaecation and encouraging short-term results have been reported after its transanal excision. The objective of this retrospective study was to assess both clinical and functional outcome after this procedure alone for patients presenting with evacuatory difficulty. Forty patients (30 females, mean age 54 years), all suffering from obstructed defaecation, underwent RIMP excision at our unit during the last 11 years. RIMP was of first degree in three patients, of second degree in 21, and of third degree in 16 with 28/40 cases (70%) having associated anorectal pathology. The operation was carried out by hand suture (submucosal excision, Sarles endorectal excision, or the Delorme mucosectomy) in 26 patients, by circular stapled prolapsectomy in nine patients, or by combined manual and stapled techniques in five cases. Proctoscopy was carried out after 2 months for all patients, with anorectal manometry in 30 patients. Patients were independently assessed by state-trait anxiety scales for attendant anxiety and depression. Eighteen patients (45%) had significant postoperative complications with a surgical reintervention rate of 32.5%. Overall, 21 patients (52%) reported recurrent constipation and of these 14 (65%) had recurrent RIMP; six patients were treated successfully by rubber-band ligation alone. Two patients (5%) experienced new onset faecal incontinence. The recurrence rate of RIMP was unaffected by the type of operation, being 53% after manual techniques and 48% after combined procedures. There was no difference between postoperative manometric values in patients presenting with recurrent RIMP or constipation compared with those without RIMP or constipation on follow-up. Forty-eight percent of the patients with both recurrent constipation plus RIMP had manometric evidence of non-relaxing puborectalis syndrome compared with 26% with RIMP but without constipation (P<0.05). Ten of the 14 patients (71%) with anxiety and/or depression complained of recurrent constipation after surgery compared with nine of the 26 patients (24%) with normal psychological profiles (P<0.01). Patients with a preoperative rectocele were more likely to suffer from recurrent constipation than those without rectocele (eight out of 15, 53.3% vs. seven out of 25, 28%; P<0.05). Primary excision of RIMP does not seem an effective treatment for obstructed defecation with predictive factors for an adverse outcome in terms of recurrence (RIMP and constipation) including the presence of preoperative non-relaxing puborectalis syndrome and a demonstrated anxiety or depression psychological profile. The technique of prolapsectomy does not seem to affect outcome.

Transanal repair of rectocele and full rectal mucosectomy with one circular stapler: a novel surgical technique

We present a new surgical stapling technique for treatment of rectocele when associated with internal mucosal prolapse or haemorrhoids using only one circular mechanical stapler. Eight female patients, mean age 53 years (range, 42-70), complaining of obstructed defecation with vaginal digitation because of rectocele associated with internal mucosal prolapse underwent transanal repair of rectocele and rectal mucosectomy using one circular stapler between April and July 2004. A running horizontal mattress suture was placed through the base of the rectocele including mucosa, submucosa and the muscle layer of the whole anterior anorectal junction wall. The prolapsed mucosa and the muscular layer were then excised with an electrical scapel. A continuous pursestring rectal mucosa suture was placed 0.5 cm before the previous anterior mucosa and muscle layers resected wound, including the anorectal junction wall which was kept separate from the posterior vaginal wall by a Babcock forceps. Posteriorly, the pursestring suture included only mucosal and submucosal layers. The stapled suture was positioned between normal anterior rectal wall and the anal canal, 0.5 cm above the pectinate line. The stapler was then closed, fired and withdrawn. One patient complained of a perianal hematoma on the seventh postoperative day, requiring surgical excision. Postoperative defecography showed correction of the rectocele and outlet obstruction disappeared in all patients. This novel combined manual-stapled technique for rectocele and rectal internal mucosal prolapse seems to be a safe procedure and the preliminary results are encouraging. Further investigations have to be performed to assess long-term outcome in a larger number of patients.

A new grading of rectal internal mucosal prolapse and its correlation with diagnosis and treatment

The management of rectal internal mucosal prolapse (RIMP) is not based on an accepted classification of the lesion which helps to choose the appropriate treatment. The aim of this prospective study was to report a new endoscopic grading of RIMP and to evaluate its clinical value. Thirty-two patients (7 men, 25 women; mean age 56 years, range 28-72) affected by symptomatic RIMP were prospectively classified as follows: RIMP was defined as first degree when detectable below the anorectal ring on straining, as second degree when it reached the dentate line, and as third degree when it reached the anal verge. Anal manometry was carried out in 26 patients, and anal ultrasound and defecography in 6 prior to surgery. A correlation was found between the occurrence and severity of symptoms and the degree of the prolapse as obstructed defecation, bleeding and fecal soiling affected mainly patients with third-degree RIMP. At manometry the maximal resting tone was 60+/-23 mm Hg and voluntary contraction 96+/-41 mm Hg (mean+/-SEM). At anal ultrasound the mean internal sphincter thickness was 2.1+/-0.2 mm, and external sphincter thickness was 7.0+/-0.8 mm. A significant rectocele and rectal intussusception (n = 2) and a nonrelaxing puborectalis muscle on straining (n = 2) were observed at defecography in cases with third-degree RIMP. The anorectal angle was 100+/-75 degrees at rest, 63+/-20 degrees on squeezing, and 115+/-9 degrees on straining. A conservative treatment with high-fiber diet and/or rubber band ligation was carried out in all cases of first and in most patients with second-degree RIMP (n = 26). Those who required surgery, i.e., stapled transanal excision of the prolapse (n = 6), had either severely symptomatic third-degree RIMP with solitary ulcer syndrome (n = 4) or second-degree RIMP (n = 2). A positive outcome was achieved in 71% of cases. The proposed classification evaluated by the present study may be of clinical value in managing rectal internal mucosal prolapse.