Clinical and Manometric Assesment of Functional State of Anal Sphincter in Patients After Fistulectomy With Primary Sphincteroplasty

Abstract

AIM: to evaluate changes of anorectal manometry parameters and clinical symptoms of fecal incontinence 3 months after fistulectomy with primary sphincteroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: fifty-two patients (37 males) with complex anal fistulae of cryptoglandular origin underwent fistulectomy and primary sphincteroplasty. The fistulas were recurrent in 13 (25 %) cases, 8 (15,4 %) patients had preoperative fecal incontinence. Fecal incontinence Wexner score was 0,46 (0-8) before surgery. Anorectal manometry was performed before and 3 months after surgery. RESULTS: three months days after surgery mean and maximum resting anal pressure were not significantly low compared with the baseline. In patients with initially normal data before the surgery (n=22), resting anal pressure was significantly lower (before surgery M=56,1 ± 7,6 [46,1-69,0], after surgery 45,5 ± 8,8 [38,0-63,0], p=0,006, Wilcoxon test). There were no significant changes in squeezing anal pressure. Resting anal pressure has become below the normal after surgery in 13 (59.1 %) patients. Clinical symptoms of fecal incontinence was detected in 10 patients postoperatively (gas incontinence and soiling). Fecal incontinence Wexner score was 1,64 (0-11) after surgery (p=0,007). CONCLUSION: fistulectomy with primary sphincteroplasty leads to change of resting anal pressure basically in patients with initially normal pressure and mainly - in patients with anterior fistulas. Fecal incontinence symptoms after with surgery produced 26,3 % patients. These data confirm the need of individual approach when choosing the method of surgical treatment of analfistulae.