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Results
By Mayo Clinic staffIn studies of the different ways of performing rectal prolapse surgery, no procedure has proved to be optimal for all people. Each has advantages and disadvantages, but all have similar results in terms of safety, effectiveness and recurrence rates.
For most people, rectal prolapse surgery relieves the symptoms of rectal prolapse and improves fecal incontinence. It may take a year to assess how surgery has affected bowel function.
Most published studies of results of rectal prolapse surgery report improvement in constipation for most people. But they also indicate that constipation can get worse and become a problem when it wasn't one before. If you have constipation issues, it's important to address them before having surgery.
Recurrence of rectal prolapse after surgery occurs in about 2 to 5 percent of people. It appears to be slightly more common in people who have the perineal procedure compared with an abdominal one. Talk with your doctor about your risk of recurrence and what you can do to reduce your risk.
- Rectal prolapse. American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons. http://www.fascrs.org/patients/conditions/rectal_prolapse/. Accessed April 17, 2013.
- Townsend CM Jr, et al. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery: The Biological Basis of Modern Surgical Practice. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1565/0.html. Accessed April 17, 2013.
- Jones OM et al. The assessment and management of rectal prolapse, rectal intussusception, rectocele, and enterocele in adults. BMJ. 2011;342:c7099.
- Varma MG et al. Surgical approach to rectal procidentia (rectal prolapse). http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 18, 2013.
- Chua HK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 25, 2013.
- Picco MF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 30, 2013.
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