Sacroperineal anorectoplasty using intraoperative ultrasonography: a preliminary report

Intraoperative ultrasonography (US) was applied to sacroperineal anorectoplasty for the purpose of making a pull-through tunnel under visual guidance. Intraoperative US images the horizontal plane of the muscle complex and the tip of the forceps, which is placed at the entrance of the tunnel (ie, the space anterior to the puborectalis sling), ready to penetrate the muscle complex. A surgeon can thus penetrate the center of the muscle by confirming the relation between the muscle and forceps on the US screen. Postoperative computed tomography of four patients on whom this technique was applied demonstrated that the rectum was pulled through the exact center of the puborectalis and external sphincter muscles.