Perineal Rupture Following Vaginal Delivery Long-term Consequences

Twenty-five women with complete perineal rupture were compared with a control group of 25 women, with regard to risk factors and possible long-term sequelae as a consequence of perineal damage. Following an average period of 78 months (52--1231, all women received a questionnaire and were invited to a clinical follow-up, which included perineal inspection and measurement of the anal pressure profile. Vacuum extraction was more frequent in the rupture group than among controls (p < 0.002). Eighty percent of the women in the rupture group were primiparae, compared with an overall rate of 40% (p < 0.02). Forty-two percent of the women in the rupture group reported anal incontinence, compared with none in the control group (p