Function of the anal sphincters following colo-anal anastomosis.

Developments in sphincter-saving operations for carcinoma of the rectum have led to renewed interest in the function of the pelvic floor muscles and the anal sphincters. Twelve patients with a colo-anal anastomosis have been investigated physiologically with reference to sphincter function. It has been shown that the rectum is not essential for the appreciation of impending evacuation, nor for the sphincter inhibitory reflexes, which in this study were elicited by balloon distension above the anastomosis.