Early complications and long-term results of colorectal resection ad modum Rehbein for Hirschsprung's disease.

Ten years experience with Rehbein's procedure in the surgical treatment of Hirschsprung's disease (23 patients) is reported. Eleven patients were operated with a covering colostomy. Clinically overt anastomotic dehiscence was seen in 6/23 patients, being more common in the patients without a colostomy (5/12). Five of the patients with anastomotic dehiscence recovered completely after surgical intervention (4) or conservative treatment (1), whereas one patient ended up with incontinence. One patient died in enterocolitis apparently without relation to the surgical treatment. Early postoperative constipation and soiling were common, whereas at late follow-up constipation was reported only in one patient. At late follow up barium enemas showed a normal colorectal calibre in most patients. Anorectal manometry (n = 8) showed absence of normal rectoanal inhibition and rectal volumes slightly larger than among controls.