Rectal atresia and stenosis

Rectal atresia and stenosis are rare and peculiar anorectal malformations for which many and varied surgical procedures have been described, ranging from simple perforation of the atresia to extensive sacro-abdomino-perineal pull-through operations. The results of the operations have been generally unsatisfactory, chronic constipation being a common postoperative feature. In the authors' experience, the Duhamel pull-through is the operation of choice for this problem.