[Treatment of sub-levator rectocele by transrectal approach. Value of the automatic stapler with linear clamping]

Surgical treatment of rectocele causing outlet blockage is still a subject of controversy. A retrospective study of eight rectocele repairs endorectally using a surgical stapling device done over a two years period was performed. The most common indication was constipation. All patients underwent in the preoperative period complete physiologic examination including defecography, anorectal manometry, electromyography and colonic transit studies. All patients underwent colonoscopy to exclude an obvious physical disorder. There was no postoperative morbidity and the mean hospital stay was four days. Good functional results were obtained in seven patients with a one year follow-up. Endorectal resection using a stapling device is both a simple and effective technique to treat rectocele associated with difficulty in evacuation.