Inadequate pouch emptying following Martin's pull-through procedure for intestinal aganglionosis

Diarrhea is an expected problem following Martin's operation. Its cause is obvious. With medical management, the phase of intolerance to enteral feeding can be bridged. Adaptation is usually reached within 3-6 mo of surgery. This is confirmed by our experience with five patients treated in this manner. In two further patients, episodic bouts of diarrhea continued to mar their recovery. It was then appreciated that this was related to pouch content stasis. The nonoperative management of this complication proved unsuccessful. A death at 20 mo post-pull-through due to "enterocolitis" and an operation 13 mo post-pull-through to repair an acute pouch perforation followed. Attention is drawn to this complication. The following points aimed at preventing stasis, which in our series has been the most difficult problem to treat, are made: a low anal anastomosis--0.5 cm above dentate line; limit pouch size; and use normally innervated bowel. With the use of these changes, early postoperative diarrhea may be difficult to control. For this reason it is proposed that parenteral feeding be used routinely in the immediate postoperative period, and, as rapid fluid loss is better tolerated, surgery be deferred until the patient is 8 mo or more of age.