Stabilization period after 1-stage transanal endorectal pull-through operation for Hirschsprung disease

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate postoperative outcomes and to find the period required for normal stooling pattern after the 1-stage transanal endorectal pull-through operation (TERPT).MethodThe authors retrospectively reviewed the clinical data and postoperative courses of 61 patients who had the aganglionic bowel confined to rectosigmoid and underwent TERPT between 2001 and 2007.ResultsThirty-three patients (54.1%) were neonates, and 56 patients (91.8%) were less than 6 months old at operation. The mean age at TERPT was 90 ± 216 days, and the mean body weight at TERPT was 4.5 ± 2.8 kg. The average operating time was 189 ± 49 minutes, and mean length of bowel resection was 11.1 ± 3.2 cm. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 8.0 ± 3.6 days. Postoperatively, 5 (8.2%) patients were considered as failure of TERPT because of persistent problems in defecation. Fifty-six (91.8%) patients finally had normal stooling patterns and normal findings in abdominal radiography after 9.4 ± 6.2 weeks of the mean postoperative stabilization period. Neonatal cases had significantly longer postoperative stabilization periods than nonneonatal cases (11.3 ± 6.9 weeks vs 7.3 ± 4.6 weeks, P = .016). The postoperative stabilization period significantly decreased by age at operation as the patient's age increased (P = .018).ConclusionClinical outcomes after TERPT are satisfactory, but a postoperative stabilization period is required for a normal stooling pattern to develop. The outcome of TERPT should consider a postoperative stabilization period.