[Functional results of Hirschsprung's disease patients after Duhamel and De la Torre procedures]

Long term results of different surgical techniques in Hirschsprung's Disease (HD) are contradictory. There are still no long term large or multicentric reports about functional results of De la Torre technique. We have studied the mid term functional results of the patients operated on Duhamel (D) and De la Torre (dlT) pull-through procedures.

We collected data from medical records and telephone interviews of the HD patients operated in our unit in the last 16 years.

38 patients were found. Ages ranged from 1.5 to 21 years. Mean age was 7.7 years. Median follow up was 5.9 years. 33 (86.8%) had rectosigmoid disease and 5 (13.2%) had long segment disease. D procedure was performed in 17 (44.7%), Soave in 1 (2.6%), Duhamel-Lester-Martin in 4 (10.5%) and dlT pull-through in 16(42%). In the last visit record, 12 (31.6%), had constipation, and fecal leaks were noted in 11 (33.3%) of the 33 patients > or = 4 years old.. 10 patients (29.4% of the > or = 4 years old group) referred encopresis along the follow-up. Patients from the D group referred higher rates of constipation than those in the dlT group (53.3% vs 20% p=0.048). dlT patients referred more frequency of leaks (46,1% vs 13,3%, p=0,05) Children with very short resections (< or = 10 cm) were more prone to constipation than children with longer resections (66,6% vs 17.4% p=0.007), and less prone to present leaks (12.5% vs 47.3% p=0.08). Encopresis was similar in all groups.

Both techniques show similar functional results in the mid term, although children in the D group were more prone to constipation and those in the dlT group presented more fecal leaks. All patients with EH need long follow-ups.