Do children with repaired low anorectal malformations have normal bowel function?

The authors' aim was to compare bowel function in patients who had undergone repair of a low anorectal malformation with that of normal healthy children.The bowel function of 40 patients (29 boys, 11 girls; median age, 7; range, 3 to 13) with low anorectal malformations was evaluated by a multivariate scoring method based on a questionnaire. All patients were toilet trained for defecation and micturition. They were also evaluated clinically, and the outcome was graded as excellent (normal bowel function), good (no or minor social limitations), fair (marked social limitations), or poor (total incontinence). Fifty-four healthy children with a similar age and gender distribution were used as controls.Twenty-one patients (52%) with normal bowel function had continence scores within the range of the scores of healthy children (patients, 19.3 +/- 0.7 v controls, 19.1 +/- 1.3). Fifteen patients had a good clinical outcome. The mean score in this group was 16.3 +/- 2.4. Four patients with a fair outcome had a mean score of 10.5 +/- 2.9. Constipation requiring dietary or medical treatment was reported by 17 patients (42%) and four of the controls (7%). Daily soiling caused by fecal overflow was reported by four patients (10%) and none of the controls. None of the patients had urinary incontinence; occasional wetting was found in 27% of the patients and 22% of the controls (P = .56).Only half of the children with a low anorectal malformation have age-appropriate normal bowel function. Long-term follow-up of these patients to manage the main functional problem, constipation, is warranted.