Evaluation of Trans Anal Endorectal Pull-Through Outcomes in Hirschsprung Disease in Different Age and Gender Groups: A Comprehensive Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction; The timing of endorectal pull-through for Hirschsprung’s disease (HD) is controversial. Early endorectal pull-through avoids the occurrence of preoperative enterocolitis. However, delayed pull-through (≥31 days) enables postnatal maturation of the anal canal and sphincter complex. The aim of this study was to identify the best age to perform trans-anal pull-through according to the literature. Methods and Materials; This was a comprehensive systematic review. All published articles from 2010 to 2022 were searched through Web of Science, Ovid Medline, PubMed, CINAHIL, and Embase databases, using the keywords Hirschsprung's disease, delayed or early treatment, trans-anal Pull-Through surgery, age, sex or gender, complications and outcomes. Articles that met the inclusion criteria along with good to fair quality according to the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment and low bias score in the Cochran collaboration tool were reviewed. Results; Sixteen studies were eligible to be reviewed. The overall results of this study showed that due to more common short-term complications at neonatal period and lower contrast enema diagnostic accuracy in determining the transition zone, postponing surgery until the child is several months old seems to be a reasonable decision. There was also no difference in terms of complications and outcomes of trans-anal Pull-Through surgery between females and males. Conclusion; it is not recommended to delay surgery too much for ages over 1 year. Ages between 3 and 12 months can be a good time to take interventional treatment for Hirschsprung's disease.