Recent Advances in Management of Rectal Prolapse

Abstract

The search for the optimal treatment of rectal prolapse is not a new problem; it has its roots in antiquity.. We know that rectal prolapse is commonly encountered in older women but that it is also seen in children and young men. We know it is associated with both constipation and fecal incontinence however we define those terms. We know that prolapse has a spectrum of physiologic presentations and that the center for pelvic floor disorders evaluation is the key to understanding the profile of individual patients. Continent patients have higher anal canal pressures than incontinent patients, but preoperative anal canal pressures are not reliable predictors of postoperative continence. preoperative values may not be reliable predictors of continence. Defecography and colon transit studies may reveal information that is important for planning the surgical approach.