Increased anal resting pressure following the Ripstein operation. A contribution to continence?

To investigate the physiology of improvement in continence following the Ripstein operation for procidentia, preoperative and postoperative anorectal manometry was performed on 11 patients. The mean maximum anal resting pressure increased from 39 to 55 mm Hg (P = 0.01). This probably reflects improved function of the internal anal sphincter, which might contribute to better continence by increasing the closing capacity of the anal canal.