Rectal prolapse.

Rectal prolapse occurs mostly in the geriatric female patient and can be a very disabling condition. The etiology is intussusception of the rectosigmoid secondary to excessive and prolonged straining. Medical therapy for this disease process is not helpful and patients will require a surgical procedure. The two best surgical procedures for the correction of rectal prolapse are low anterior resection of the rectosigmoid and proctopexy. A few patients who are unfit for laparotomy may require the Thiersch Wire procedure. Two unresolved problems after surgical therapy are continuing constipation and incontinence. Constipation is treated by dietary measures, stool softeners, and periodic enemas. Laxatives are to be discouraged. Incontinence in patients with rectal prolapse improves in most patients after a procedure to correct the prolapse. In those patients in which incontinence persists, no form of therapy has been found to be uniformly successful.