Clinical and functional evaluation of patients with rectocele and mucosal prolapse treated with transanal repair of rectocele and rectal mucosectomy with a single circular stapler (TRREMS)

Background The aim of the present study was to make a preoperative and postoperative clinical and functional evaluation of patients who underwent transanal repair of rectocele and rectal mucosectomy with a single circular stapler (TRREMS procedure) as treatment for obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS) caused by rectocele and rectal mucosal prolapse (RMP). Methods This prospective study included 35 female patients, 34 multiparous and one nulliparous, with an average age of 47.5 years (range 31–67 years), rectocele grade II ( n = 13/37.1%) or grade III ( n = 22/62.9%), associated with RMP. The study parameters included ODS, constipation, functional continence scores and pre- and postoperative cinedefecographic findings. Results The average preoperative ODS score, the constipation score and the functional continence score were significantly reduced after surgery from 10.63 to 2.91 ( p = 0.001), 15.23 to 4.46 ( p = 0.001) and 2.77 to 1.71 ( p = 0.001), respectively. Between the first and the eighth postoperative day, the average visual analog scale pain score fell from 5.23 to 1.20 ( p = 0.001). Satisfaction with treatment outcome was 79.97, 86.54, 87.65 and 88.06 at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. Cinedefecography revealed average reductions in rectocele size from 19.23 ± 8.84 mm (3–42) to 6.68 ± 3.65 mm (range 0–7) at rest and from 34.89 ± 12.30 mm (range 20–70) to 10.94 ± 5.97 mm (range 0–25) during evacuation (both P = 0.001). Conclusion The TRREMS procedure is a safe and efficient technique associated with satisfactory anatomic and functional results and with a low incidence of postoperative pain and complications.