Management of rectal prolapse in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Complete rectal prolapse is uncommon in adults. Out of 129,525 patients treated at our teaching hospital over a five-year period, only 29 patients were managed with complete rectal prolapse. The total mean-age was 52 years with an approximate 1:2 male-female ratio. Two of the patients had their prolapse for 16 years before presentation. Major clinical features included constipation, diarrhoea, soiling and rectal bleeding. 51.72% of the cases had partial to complete incontinence of faeces. 22 patients were treated with the simple technique posterior fixation of both rectum and sigmoid colon. Follow-up was from 6 months to 4 years, mortality was 3.44%. There had been no recurrences of the complete rectal prolapse to date.