Anal endosonographic assessment of the accuracy of clinical diagnosis of obstetric anal sphincter injury

Introduction and hypothesis Obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) are a common cause of maternal morbidity with an overall incidence in the UK of 2.9% (range 0–8%). They can cause a range of physical symptoms and psychological distress. This study aims to assess the accuracy of clinical diagnosis of OASIS using endoanal ultrasound (EAUS) and the correlation between confirmed injury and change to anorectal physiology squeeze pressure and the incidence of bowel symptoms. Methods and materials Retrospective study of prospectively collected data from 1135 women who attended the Third- and Fourth-Degree Tears Clinic at our institution, 12 weeks post-delivery, between June 2008 and October 2019. Results OASIS was confirmed in 876 (78.8%) women and 236 (21.3%) had no injury. Of the women who underwent anorectal physiology, 45.6% had a mean maximal resting pressure below the normal range and 68.8% had a mean incremental squeeze pressure below normal. Women with confirmed OASIS had significantly lower pressures (p < 0.001) than those without a confirmed sphincter injury. Three hundred ninety-three (34.8%) women reported bowel symptoms, with those with endosonographic evidence of injury more likely to develop flatus incontinence. Conclusion Of the women in this study with a suspected OASIS, 21.2% could be reassured that they did not have an injury. This information is useful for women considering future mode of delivery. Those with confirmed injury are more likely to complain of flatus incontinence and have reduced anal sphincter pressures.

Results of surgical treatment of anal sphincter injury following vaginal delivery at Hanoi Medical University Hospital: a case series report

The repair of sphincter injury following vaginal delivery is often inadequate or the injury was undetected. The consequence is fecal incontinence. In this descriptive study, five patients underwent sphincter repair by the “overlap” technique. Evaluation of postoperative outcomes at 3 and 12 months showed that the Wexner fecal incontinence score at 17 - 20 score decreased to 0 - 6 score. Transperineal ultrasound showed that all five patients healed well. Measurement of anal manometry, functional anal canal length, resting anal pressures and squeezing anal pressures was better after surgery.