OBJECTIVETo investigate the factors associated with postoperative fecal incontinence after anorectal procedures.

METHODSA total of 1074 patients underwent anorectal procedures in the Department of Colorectal Surgery at the Coloproctology Hospital of Shenyang. Factors associated with postoperative fecal incontinence were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSFollow-up was available in all the patients. One hundred and forty-four(13.4%) patients developed mild incontinence, and 57(5.3%) moderate incontinence. There was no complete incontinence. The overall incontinence rate was 18.7%. The incontinence rate was 41.8%(107/256) after fistula procedures, higher than that after hemorrhoid procedures(12.4%,73/591) and fissure procedures(9.2%,21/227), and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). Among 490 patients who received injection therapy for internal hemorrhoids, patients who received 10 ml of Xiaozhiling or more had a mild incontinence rate of 10.4%(27/259) and a moderate incontinence rate of 2.3%(6/259), and in those who received less than 10 ml of Xiaozhiling, the mild incontinence rate was 9.5%(22/231) and moderate incontinence rate was 4.3%(10/231). The differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). In 354 patients who underwent hemorrhoidectomy, the mild incontinence rate and moderate incontinence rate were both 14.1% in those who had excision of 3 or more hemorrhoids, and were 3.9%(11/283) and 2.1% (6/283) in those who had excision of less than 3 hemorrhoids, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). There was no difference in Incontinence rate was not associate with fistula or fissure procedure (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe incidence of incontinence is high after fistula procedures. Excision of hemorrhoids should not exceed 3 hemorrhoids. Wider adoption of injection therapy is encouraged.