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International Urogynecology Journal Sep 2021Pregnancy and childbirth are considered risk factors for pelvic floor dysfunction, including anorectal dysfunction. We aimed to assess the effect of obstetric events on... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS
Pregnancy and childbirth are considered risk factors for pelvic floor dysfunction, including anorectal dysfunction. We aimed to assess the effect of obstetric events on anal incontinence and constipation after delivery.
METHODS
We systematically reviewed the literature by searching MEDLINE, Embase and CENTRAL. We included studies in women after childbirth examining the association between obstetric events and anorectal dysfunction assessed through validated questionnaires. We selected eligible studies and clustered the data according to the type of dysfunction, obstetric event and interval from delivery. We assessed risk of bias using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale and we performed a random-effects meta-analysis and reported the results as odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals. Heterogeneity across studies was assessed using I statistics.
RESULTS
Anal sphincter injury (OR: 2.44 [1.92-3.09]) and operative delivery were risk factors for anal incontinence (forceps-OR :1.35 [1.12-1.63]; vacuum-OR: 1.17 [1.04-1.31]). Spontaneous vaginal delivery increased the risk of anal incontinence compared with caesarean section (OR: 1.27 [1.07-1.50]). Maternal obesity (OR:1.48 [1.28-1.72]) and advanced maternal age (OR: 1.56 [1.30-1.88]) were risk factors for anal incontinence. The evidence on incontinence is of low certainty owing to the observational nature of the studies. No evidence was retrieved regarding constipation after delivery because of a lack of standardised validated assessment tools.
CONCLUSIONS
Besides anal sphincter injury, forceps delivery, maternal obesity and advanced age were associated with higher odds of anal incontinence, whereas caesarean section is protective. We could not identify obstetric risk factors for postpartum constipation, as few prospective studies addressed this question and none used a standardised validated questionnaire.
Topics: Anal Canal; Cesarean Section; Delivery, Obstetric; Fecal Incontinence; Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors
PubMed: 33787952
DOI: 10.1007/s00192-021-04723-z -
Colorectal Disease : the Official... Dec 2021This systematic review aimed to assess the outcomes of fistulotomy or fistulectomy and immediate sphincter repair (FISR) in relation to healing, incontinence and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
AIM
This systematic review aimed to assess the outcomes of fistulotomy or fistulectomy and immediate sphincter repair (FISR) in relation to healing, incontinence and sphincter dehiscence both overall and in patients with high anal fistulae.
METHODS
Medline, Embase and The Cochrane library were searched for studies of patients undergoing FISR for anal fistula. Data regarding healing, continence and sphincter dehiscence were extracted overall and for high anal fistulae. The DerSimonian-Laird random-effects method was used for pooled analysis, heterogeneity between studies was assessed based on the significance of between-study heterogeneity, and on the size of the I value. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale.
RESULTS
We identified 21 studies evaluating 1700 patients. Pooled analysis of healing reached 93% (95% CI: 91%-95%, I = 51% p-value for heterogeneity = 0.004), with continence disturbance and worsening continence reaching 11% (95% CI: 6%-18%, I = 87% p < 0.001) and 8% (95% CI: 4%-13%, I = 74% p < 0.001), respectively. Subgroup analysis according to fistula height could only be conducted on limited data. Pooled healing in high anal fistulae was 89% (95% CI: 84%-94%, I = 76% p < 0.001), 16% suffered disturbance of continence (95% CI: 7%-27%, I = 89% p < 0.001), 8% worsening continence from baseline (95% CI: 2%-16%, I = 80% p < 0.001) and 2% suffered sphincter dehiscence (95% CI: 0%-10%, I = 89% p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
The evidence suggests FISR is a safe, effective procedure. However, data are limited by inconsistencies in reporting of continence and definition of fistula height, particularly high anal fistulae. Significant heterogeneity means that outcomes in high fistulae remain uncertain.
Topics: Anal Canal; Fecal Incontinence; Humans; Organ Sparing Treatments; Rectal Fistula; Treatment Outcome; Urinary Incontinence
PubMed: 34623747
DOI: 10.1111/codi.15945 -
Pediatric Surgery International Apr 2021The anal position index (API) was described in 1984 by Reisner et al. Since then, it has been measured in different ethnic populations and its utility in various medical... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
PURPOSE
The anal position index (API) was described in 1984 by Reisner et al. Since then, it has been measured in different ethnic populations and its utility in various medical conditions have been explored. We aimed to review the literature regarding the various values reported analytically.
METHOD
A Pubmed Search was carried out with the terms Anal Position Index. There were 158 articles hit by the search. The description of the API was uniform in all studies, described as ratio of anus-fourchette distance in girls and anus-scrotum distance in boys to the distance between coccyx and fourchette/scrotum. 18 relevant studies were included describing the values in different ethnic groups and describing its utility. One study was excluded from statistics due to different landmark for measurement. The studies were grouped into 4. Group A:B:C:D comprised of Newborns:Infants:All age groups:Constipated children. We carried out meta-analysis to estimate effect size (mean difference) using STATA software version 16.0.
RESULTS
The different ethnic populations in which API were measured, and were Indian (2), Turkish (3), Israel (2), Taiwanese, Thai, Iranian, Spanish, Italian, and Mexican. The API was higher by 0.129 in boys. The mean API in males was 0.53:0.54:0.48:0.52 in Group A:B:C:D with an overall mean (SD) API of 0.51 (0.04). The mean API in females was 0.40:0.40:0.38:0.37 in Group A:B:C:D with an overall mean (SD) API of 0.40(0.03). Two studies were done in mice and showed the relation of API to intrauterine exposure to androgens. In children, API was mostly used to diagnose an anterior ectopic anus and see correlation with constipation. The abnormal values varied from less than 0.30-0.34 in girls and less than 0.41-0.46 in boys. The effect size by regions showed that the estimated effect size for all the regions were within 95% Confidence limits of overall estimate (0.13: 95% CI: 0.13-0.14). Therefore, it can be inferred that there was no significant ethnic variation in the study parameter. The anal position in relation to genitalia was measured in nulliparous women, menopause women, and women with levator deficiency. It was affected in vulvovaginal atrophy. Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy was reported to alter the anal position in male infants.
CONCLUSION
The anteriorly positioned anus has been associated with constipation. API been measured in various ethnic populations with insignificant variations. The API is significantly (p < 0.05) higher in males. The presence of constipation does not seem to alter API. One should adopt a single method for measurement. API should not be considered at the sole indication for any surgical intervention.
Topics: Anal Canal; Animals; Anorectal Malformations; Coccyx; Constipation; Female; Genitalia; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Iran; Israel; Italy; Male; Mexico; Mice; Scrotum; Spain; Thailand; Turkey
PubMed: 33511448
DOI: 10.1007/s00383-020-04839-1 -
Pediatric Surgery International Aug 2022Children with anorectal malformation (ARM) often continue to have disturbances in bowel function long after reconstructive surgery. Anorectal manometry may be utilized... (Review)
Review
Children with anorectal malformation (ARM) often continue to have disturbances in bowel function long after reconstructive surgery. Anorectal manometry may be utilized to evaluate bowel function in these children. We aimed to describe the reported protocols and manometric findings in children with ARM post-reconstructive surgery and to investigate the correlation between manometric evaluation and bowel functional outcome. PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases were searched from 1980 to 2021. Data were reviewed and extracted independently by two authors, in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Included studies were English articles reporting postoperative assessment of children (≤ 18 years) with ARM using anorectal manometry. From 128 articles obtained in the initial search, five retrospective cohort studies and one prospective study fulfilled inclusion criteria. The rectoanal inhibitory reflex and mean anal resting pressure were parameters most often reported to correlate with postoperative bowel function. The least reported parameters among the studies were high-pressure zone, rectal volume, and rectal sensation. Anorectal manometry could be an objective method providing important information for personalized management of postoperative ARM patients with bowel function issues, but lack of standardized protocols limits a comprehensive analysis of their utility.
Topics: Anal Canal; Anorectal Malformations; Child; Fecal Incontinence; Humans; Manometry; Prospective Studies; Rectum; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 35727358
DOI: 10.1007/s00383-022-05152-9 -
Neurogastroenterology and Motility Dec 2022Children with anorectal malformations may experience constipation and fecal incontinence following repair. The contribution of altered anorectal function to these... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Children with anorectal malformations may experience constipation and fecal incontinence following repair. The contribution of altered anorectal function to these persistent symptoms is relatively intuitive; however, colonic motility in this cohort is less well understood. Manometry may be used to directly assess colonic motility.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize the available evidence regarding post-operative colonic motility in children with anorectal malformations and evaluate the reported equipment and protocols used to perform colonic manometry in this cohort. This systematic review was conducted in compliance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). We conducted a systematic review of four databases: Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library (1 January 1985-22 July 2021). Studies reporting colonic manometry performed in children following anorectal malformation repair were assessed for eligibility. Data were extracted independently by two authors. Four studies were eligible for inclusion. Of the combined total cohort of 151 children, post-operative colonic manometry was conducted in 35. Insufficient reporting of medical characteristics, bowel function, and manometric outcomes restricted comparison between studies, and limited clinical applicability. No results from high-resolution colonic manometry were identified. Despite the prevalence of post-operative bowel dysfunction in children with repaired anorectal malformations, this systematic review highlighted the markedly limited evidence regarding post-operative colonic motility. This cohort may benefit from assessment with high-resolution techniques; however, future work must emphasize adherence to standardized manometry protocols, and include robust reporting of surgical characteristics, bowel function, and manometric outcomes.
Topics: Child; Humans; Anorectal Malformations; Rectum; Anal Canal; Manometry; Colon; Constipation; Fecal Incontinence
PubMed: 35699343
DOI: 10.1111/nmo.14415 -
International Journal of Surgery... Mar 2023
Meta-Analysis
Botulinum toxin as a promising surgical strategy for chronic anal fissure: do the dose and injection site matter? Comparison of doses and injection sites of botulinum toxin for chronic anal fissure: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Topics: Humans; Fissure in Ano; Network Meta-Analysis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Botulinum Toxins, Type A; Anal Canal; Chronic Disease; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 36906767
DOI: 10.1097/JS9.0000000000000022 -
Surgery Aug 2023Rectal advancement flap and ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract are common procedures for treating complex anal fistula. The present meta-analysis aimed to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Endorectal advancement flap compared to ligation of inter-sphincteric fistula tract in the treatment of complex anal fistulas: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
BACKGROUND
Rectal advancement flap and ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract are common procedures for treating complex anal fistula. The present meta-analysis aimed to compare the surgical outcomes of advancement flap and ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract.
METHODS
A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-compliant systematic review of randomized clinical trials comparing the ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract and advancement flap was conducted. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched through January 2023. The risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias 2 tool and certainty of evidence with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. The primary outcomes were healing and recurrence of anal fistulas, and secondary outcomes were operative time, complications, fecal incontinence, and early pain.
RESULTS
Three randomized clinical trials (193 patients, 74.6% male) were included. The median follow-up was 19.2 months. Two trials had a low risk of bias, and 1 had some risk of bias. The odds of healing (odds ratio: 1.363, 95% confidence interval: 0.373-4.972, P = .639), recurrence (odds ratio: 0.525, 95% confidence interval: 0.263-1.047, P = .067), and complications (odds ratio: 0.356, 95% confidence interval: 0.085-1.487, P = .157) were similar between the 2 procedures. Ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract was associated with a significantly shorter operation time (weighted mean difference: -4.876, 95% confidence interval: -7.988 to -1.764, P = .002) and less postoperative pain (weighted mean difference: -1.030, 95% confidence interval: -1.418 to -0.641, 0.198, P < .001, I = 3.85%) than advancement flap. Ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract was associated with marginally lower odds of fecal incontinence than advancement flap (odds ratio: 0.27, 95% confidence interval: 0.069-1.06, P = .06).
CONCLUSION
Ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract and advancement flap had similar odds of healing, recurrence, and complications. The odds of fecal incontinence and extent of pain after ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract were lower than after advancement flap.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Anal Canal; Fecal Incontinence; Inflammation; Ligation; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Pain, Postoperative; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Rectal Fistula; Recurrence; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 37198039
DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2023.04.004 -
International Journal of Surgery... Jun 2022Anal fissure is a linear tear in the distal anoderm most frequently occurring in the posterior midline. Lateral internal sphincterotomy is considered the gold standard... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Anal fissure is a linear tear in the distal anoderm most frequently occurring in the posterior midline. Lateral internal sphincterotomy is considered the gold standard for the treatment of this condition. To this date, several pharmacological and neuromodulatory therapies have been tried out as alternative non-invasive treatments for anal fissures, however, the efficacy of some of these methods remains to be understood.
OBJECTIVE
the primary aim of this study was to review available literature on neuromodulatory treatments for recurrent anal fissure as a potentially effective cure for this condition.
DATA SOURCES
A search was conducted among five main online databases Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Scholar.
STUDY SELECTION
All published human studies in English literature addressing neuromodulation for the treatment of recurrent anal fissure were selected.
INTERVENTION
neuromodulation for the treatment of anal fissure. We chose to include all articles in which the authors stated that the procedure they performed was via neuromodulation technique, or that the described technique used in their study resembled the technique.
RESULT
Among a total of 3487 evaluated studies, seven represented the effects of neuro modulation on treatment of recurrent anal fissure, among which two were randomized controlled trials and the rest were prospective studies. A total of 186 patient were evaluated in these studies. The mean age of the participants was 46.97 ± 8.2. The average VAS score before intervention was 7.77 ± 2.13, which decreased to 0.31 ± 1.13 after intervention.
LIMITATIONS
limitations of this study include the lack of related articles, and data regarding this subject.
CONCLUSION
Posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) provides rapid pain relief and fissure healing especially in short-to mid-terms with little to no complications, however, using this treatment, symptoms of anal fissure do not improve as well as LIS, especially in the long-term.
Topics: Anal Canal; Chronic Disease; Fecal Incontinence; Fissure in Ano; Humans; Prospective Studies; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 35568308
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2022.106661 -
Acta Chirurgica Belgica Dec 2021The development of a surgical solution for anal fistulas with minimal recurrence and morbidity remains a challenge. Ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract...
BACKGROUND
The development of a surgical solution for anal fistulas with minimal recurrence and morbidity remains a challenge. Ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT), however, is a sphincter sparing technique that provides complete resolution of the transsphincteric fistula as well as minimizing recurrence and fecal incontinence. Our goal is to evaluate the efficacy of fistula tract ligation for primary and recurrent fistulas.
METHODS
A retrospective single-center case study was conducted from data between 2015 and 2019 in a large district hospital in Antwerp, Belgium. Patients who underwent LIFT were included. Demographic patient data as well as primary outcome during the follow-up period were collected. A systematic literature review and analysis was conducted with terms [ANAL FISTULA] [TREATMENT] [LIFT] [LIGATION OF INTERSPHINCTERIC FISTULA]. Primary healing and recurrence associated with surgical modifications were investigated.
RESULTS
4 out of 25 patients presented with early failure (84% primary success rate) after a median follow-up period of 7 months. The median time until recurrence was 105 days. The success rate after a redo ligation was 100%. Twenty-eight studies were included for review and divided into three groups depending on the technical variation of the used technique. The success rate was 74.2% for the LIFT group, 72.9% in the LIFT + group, and 77.5% in the mLIFT group = .92.
CONCLUSION
LIFT is a feasible treatment option for primary and recurrent fistulas, with excellent success rates where fistula characteristics rather than chosen technique dictate the surgical outcome.
Topics: Anal Canal; Humans; Organ Sparing Treatments; Rectal Fistula; Recurrence; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33108254
DOI: 10.1080/00015458.2020.1841488 -
Surgical Endoscopy May 2023In the advancement of transanal local excision, robot-assisted transanal minimal invasive surgery is the newest development. In the confined area of the rectum,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
In the advancement of transanal local excision, robot-assisted transanal minimal invasive surgery is the newest development. In the confined area of the rectum, robot-assisted surgery should, theoretically, be superior due to articulated utensils, video enhancement, and tremor reduction, however, this has not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was to review the evidence reported to-date on experience of using robot-assisted transanal minimal invasive surgery for treatment of rectal neoplasms.
METHODS
A comprehensive literature search of Embase and PubMed from May to August 2021were performed. Studies including patients diagnosed with rectal neoplasia or benign polyps who underwent robot-assisted transanal minimal invasive surgery were included. All studies were assessed for risk of bias through assessment tools. Main outcome measures were feasibility, excision quality, and complications.
RESULTS
Twenty-five studies with a total of 322 local excisions were included. The studies included were all retrospective, primarily case-reports, -series, and cohort studies. The median distance from the anal verge ranged from 3.5 to 10 cm and the median size was between 2.5 and 5.3 cm. Overall, 4.6% of the resections had a positive resection margin. The overall complication rate was at 9.5% with severe complications (Clavien-Dindo score III) at 0.9%.
CONCLUSION
Based on limited, retrospective data, with a high risk of bias, robot-assisted transanal minimal invasive surgery seems feasible and safe for local excisions in the rectum.
Topics: Humans; Robotics; Retrospective Studies; Feasibility Studies; Rectum; Rectal Neoplasms; Anal Canal; Transanal Endoscopic Surgery; Margins of Excision; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 36707419
DOI: 10.1007/s00464-022-09853-z