[Rectocele: clinical manifestations and surgical correction]

Area of Science:

• Colorectal Surgery
• Pelvic Floor Disorders

Background:

• Rectocele, a common pelvic floor disorder, presents with varied clinical manifestations.
• Accurate diagnosis and effective surgical intervention are crucial for managing rectocele.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, and surgical outcomes of rectocele treatment.
• To evaluate the long-term efficacy of surgical correction for rectocele.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 17 patients diagnosed with rectocele between 1988 and 1998.
• Diagnosis involved clinical and instrumental investigations.
• Surgical interventions included sphincterolevator plasty and sphincterolevator plasty with colporrhaphy.

Main Results:

• Rectocele diagnosis included Grade II in 37 patients and Grade III in 80 patients.
• Two surgical techniques were employed for correction.
• Follow-up at 5 years revealed a low recurrence rate of 2.8% (3 patients).

Conclusions:

• Sphincterolevator plasty, with or without colporrhaphy, is an effective surgical treatment for rectocele.
• The surgical approach demonstrated a high success rate with minimal long-term relapses.