STUDY OF THE PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLES AFTER VAGINAL DELIVERY

Abstract

Child birth appears to induce both quantitative and qualitative changes in the pelvic floor which jeopardizes the continence mechanism, as the commonest cause of external anal sphincter division is injury during child birth and this is

usually associated with a high risk for developing anal

r incontinence .

Thirty females with previous vaginal delivery were included in this study aiming at determination of the untoward effects of vaginal delivery on the pelvic floor and anal canal musculature, and whether episiotomy has any protective role in this respect or not. The females were categorized into 3 groups according to presence or absence of anal incontinence, clinically evident anal sphincter defect and history of at least one previous episiotomy. All patients were subjected to full history taking, complete clinical examination and evaluation of the anal canal pressures by a computerized anal pressure vector manometry. For each patient the maximum average resting and squeeze anal canal pressures and the squeeze pressure vector symmetry