Can You Repair The Sphincter Muscle

sphincterotomy

Sphincter repair surgery, likewise called sphincteroplasty, is a surgical technique for the repair of weak or damaged anal sphincter muscles which regulate your bowel movements. In this procedure, the injured or torn area of the sphincter muscles is removed, and the healthy ends are sutured together to strengthen them. Information technology provides relief to people with bowel incontinence, also called faecal incontinence, a condition where the person cannot control bowel movements leading to involuntary leakage from the rectum.

What are the Causes of Bowel/Faecal Incontinence?

Bowel/faecal incontinence develops when your anal sphincter muscles become weak or damaged. This may happen due to:

Rectal prolapse: a condition where your rectum slides downwardly or exterior the anus
Childbirth
Haemorrhoids
Injury to the nerves supplying the rectum
Chronic constipation or diarrhoea
Advancing age
Previous surgery

Pre-Operative Preparation for Sphincter Repair Surgery

Your surgeon will review your medical history and symptoms. You lot will exist recommended imaging tests such as an endo-anal ultrasound for an accurate diagnosis. An endo-anal ultrasound involves the insertion of a probe within the anus which generates internal images to chart a suitable plan for your treatment.

You will be given an oral bowel preparation 24 hours before your surgery to clear your bowels of faecal thing, so your surgeon has a articulate view to work. You should eat only clear liquids such every bit water, lemonade, or energy drinks before your surgery.

Process of Sphincter Repair Surgery

Surgery is recommended when conservative treatment of bowel/faecal incontinence is unsuccessful, and the condition is adversely affecting the patient's quality of life. A sphincter repair surgery is performed under general anaesthesia in a prone jack-knife position where the patient is placed on their stomach and the head and legs are positioned at a lower angle with the hips raised by placing a gyre underneath. The different types of sphincter repair surgeries include:

Sphincteroplasty, besides called Sphincter Reconstruction: In this procedure, an incision is fabricated in the perineal surface area, between the rectum and the vulva in females or betwixt the rectum and scrotum in males, to access to the anal sphincter. Once the sphincter is identified, the torn muscles and damaged tissues are removed. The remaining ends of the anal sphincter are stitched together in an overlapping fashion to strengthen the sphincter muscles and tighten the sphincter. Upon completion, the incision is airtight.

Dynamic Graciloplasty: In this procedure, your surgeon will accept a patch of the gracilis muscle around the anus and wrap it around the sphincter to restore the musculus tone to the sphincter. Sometimes the muscle patch tin be taken from the inner thigh.

Sphincter Replacement:In this procedure, your surgeon volition replace the damaged anal sphincter with an artificial anal sphincter. The artificial sphincter is an inflatable device that is implanted around your anal canal. Information technology comes with an external pump which is manually operated when needed.

The artificial sphincter remains inflated while it collects stools. This keeps the anal sphincter shut tightly airtight. One time you lot get the urge to defecate, you utilize the pump to deflate the device and this releases the stool. Then, the device re-inflates itself.

Sphincter repair surgery unremarkably lasts for near xl-60 minutes.

Recovery and Post-Operative Care after Sphincter Repair Surgery

Y'all may be required to stay at the hospital overnight or 24 hours. You may feel mild pain and discomfort which will subside gradually. After your sphincter repair surgery, you volition be given specific instructions to regain normal bowel movements.

You volition be trained on pelvic floor exercises to restore muscle forcefulness and improve sphincter control.
Yous will be recommended to follow a detail schedule for defecation to amend your bowel control.
You volition be instructed to improve your dietary habits to avoid constipation and diarrhoea.
Consummate recovery may take six weeks.

Avoid the following until consummate recovery:

Straining during defecation to forestall force per unit area on your sphincter muscles
Heavy lifting of more than than 10 lbs
Sexual intercourse
Tub baths

What are the Risks and Complications of Sphincter Repair Surgery?

Every bit with any surgical procedure, sphincter repair surgery may also be associated with sure risks and complications. These include:

Infection
Bleeding
Formation of blood clots
Injury to the surrounding organs such equally the float, the ureter
Tear in the incision and need for revision surgery