OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of partial internal sphincter myomectomy on transanal one-stage pull-through operation for Hirschsprung disease (HD).

METHODSA prospective group of 153 pediatric patients with HD in Guangdong Dongguan People's Hospital between 2003-2012 were enrolled, who underwent transanal one-stage pull-through operation. Children were divided into partial resection group (77 cases) undergoing partial internal sphincter myomectomy and simple incision group (76 cases) undergoing simply internal sphincter dissection, respectively. Differences of postoperative complications and continence between two groups were compared.

RESULTSPostoperative complications such as rectal muscularis infection [1.3% (1/77) vs. 11.8% (9/76), P<0.05], enterocolitis [2.6% (2/77) vs. 13.2% (10/76), P<0.05], anastomosis stenosis[3.9% (3/77) vs. 22.4% (17/76), P<0.01] and abdominal distension [10.4% (8/77) vs. 25.0% (19/76), P<0.05] were lower in partial resection group as compared to simple incision group. The time of antibiotics administration was also lower in partial resection group [(3.9±1.1) d vs. (4.6±1.1) d, P<0.01]. Difference in the continence between the two groups was not statistically significant (kelly score, 5.1±0.5 vs. 5.2±0.6, P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCompared with simply internal sphincter dissection in operation, partial internal sphincter myomectomy with transanal one-stage pull-through operation for HD can reduce the postoperative complications and does not increase the damage of the continence.