Surgical management of iatrogenic anal stenosis

Aim
Anal stenosis is an uncommon but troublesome complication of some anorectal operations, most often seen after surgical hemorrhoidectomy. Several methods are used to control this problem, ranging from medical to various surgical procedures, depending on the severity and extent of the stenosis. This study aims to evaluate diamond-shaped flap anoplasty with partial lateral internal sphincterotomy as a treatment option of iatrogenic severe anal stenosis.
Study design
A prospective study was conducted, which was approved by the ethics committee of the faculty, and the patients were consented before being included in this study.
Place and duration of study
The study was performed at the General Surgery Department, Al-Hussein Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, from January 2017 to December 2019.
Patients and methods
A total of 14 patients with post-surgical severe anal stenosis were included in this study. All patients were treated by diamond-shaped flap anoplasty with partial lateral internal sphincterotomy. After the procedure, every patient was evaluated in the first week, second week, first month, third month, sixth month, and the first year regarding pain, bleeding, wound infection, wound healing, and incontinence.
Results
A total of 14 patients (10 females and four males) with severe anal stenosis, with a mean age of 43.65 years, were included. Post-hemorroidectomy anal stenosis represented the main etiology in 13 (93%) patients, with post-defecation pain being the major complaint in all patients. Unilateral diamond-shaped flap anoplasty with partial lateral internal sphincterotomy was done in all patients. Post-operative pain ranged from moderate to mild over the first week, and anal spotting, which occurred in only two patients, stopped spontaneously in the first few days, and no flap loss occurred, but wound infection occurred in four (28%) patients, who were treated conservatively. Gas incontinence occurred in seven (50%) patients but improved over the first month. Complete satisfaction was achieved in 12 (86%) patients, and in the other two patients with recurrent symptoms, complete satisfaction was reached at the end of the follow-up period by having the same operation on the other side.
Conclusion
Diamond-shaped flap anoplasty with partial lateral internal sphincterotomy is a good treatment option for severe anal stenosis, being simple with low complication rate and high success rate and an easy way to perform the same operation on the other side to obtain complete patient satisfaction in failed cases with recurrent symptoms.