[Surgery of primary sphincter incontinence].

A thorough functional analysis of the anorectal continence organ and the pelvic floor is a prerequisite for adequate treatment of incontinence. If conservative therapy has failed, corrective surgery on the basis of careful patient selection may well lead to improvement of continence. In our experience, plastic surgery of both the anterior levator ani muscle and the sphincter ani externus muscle is the treatment of choice for idiopathic incontinence.