Treatment of rectal prolapse. A clinical study of 50 consecutive patients.

The results of surgical treatment of rectal prolapse in 50 consecutive adult patients were evaluated. The mean age of the patients was 51.8 +/- 15.9 years. 8 of the patients were males. 13 of the patients had recurrent prolapse after operations performed earlier elsewhere. There were 4 types of operations: Delorme's mucosal sleeve resection (n = 21), perineal rectosigmoidectomy (n = 7), low anterior resection (n = 12) and abdominal rectopexy (n = 10). There was no operative mortality. The main postoperative complications were perforation or stricture of the rectum in the Delorme group and ileus and anastomotic complications in the low anterior resection group. The frequency of postoperative complications was clearly highest in the low anterior resection group (67%). Follow-up examination was performed 5.2 +/- 3.9 years postoperatively. The recurrence rate of prolapse was highest after perineal operations. Fecal incontinence was almost always associated with recurrence of prolapse and its incidence increased with reoperation. In conclusion, abdominal rectopexy was superior to other forms of operation in the treatment of rectal prolapse. Successfull correction of rectal prolapse does not necessarily rule out the need for later surgery for faecal incontinence.