Purpose: We describe our three-year experience with the laparoscopically assisted anorectal pullthrough
for high imperforate anus using laparoscopic muscle electrostimulation.
Materials and Methods: From March 2001 to January 2004, 7 patients with a diagnosis of high
anorectal malformation underwent laparoscopically assisted anorectal pull-through. The patients,
all males aged from 4 to 9 months (mean age, 5.8 months), presented with a rectourethral fistula.
The associated malformations noted were sacral malformation, laryngeal stenosis, urethral duplication,
multicystic kidney, nonpalpable testis, and esophageal atresia. All patients were treated with
a colostomy in the newborn period followed by a delayed laparoscopically assisted anorectal pullthrough.
Laparoscopy included stimulation of the puborectal muscle, using a modified Peña electrostimulator
introduced through a trocar. All patients underwent a postoperative period of anal
dilatation.
Results: In 6 cases the laparoscopically assisted anorectal pull-through was successful; there was
1 conversion to the open technique, due to strong tension from the colostomy.
Conclusion: Although longer follow-up to evaluate continence is to come, laparoscopically assisted
anorectal pull-through should be considered for the correction of the high imperforate anus and,
according to our experience, it represents the gold standard. It offers the advantage of good visualization
of the fistula and the surrounding structures and minimally invasive abdominal and perineal
wounds.With the laparoscopic Peña stimulator the direct observation of the contraction of the
puborectalis sling allows an evaluation of the functional contractility and an accurate colonic pullthrough
in the center of the muscle complex.
