Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 02/17/2009
The overall incidence of rectal prolapse in the United States is approximately 4.2 per 1,000 people. The incidence of the disorder increases to 10 per 1,000 among patients older than 65. Most patients with rectal prolapse are women; the ratio of male-to-female...
patients is one in six.
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Definition:
This procedure is surgery to repair a rectal prolapse, the protrusion of the rectum (the last part of the colon) through the anus.
Description:
Rectal prolapse may be partial, involving only the mucosa, or complete, involving the entire wall of the rectum. It can occur in children but is much more common in older individuals.
Rectal prolapse in infants often gets better on its own and does not require surgery. Children with myelomeningocele and bladder exstrophy as well as children with cystic fibrosis are particularly at risk. Rarely it can be caused by acute diarrhea or straining to pass stool while constipated.
Rectal prolapse is most common in older individuals with a long history of constipation or weakness of the pelvic floor muscles. It is more common in women, especially those who have had a hysterectomy.
Other Information
Biliary colic is the presenting symptom in 80% of patients with gallstone disease who seek medical care; however, only 10-20% of all individuals with gallstones experience severe gallstone pain.
From: eMedicine
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