PURPOSE: About one-third of the patients with rectal prolapse or recta
l intussusception have concurrent enterocele at defecography. The purp
ose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Ripstein procedure
on the concurrent enterocele and to study the outcome of the procedur
e with respect to the patients' symptoms. METHODS: Twenty-two patients
with enterocele and either rectal prolapse or rectal intussusception
at defecography were treated using the Ripstein procedure. Postoperati
vely, the patients were evaluated with clinical examination (22 patien
ts) and defecography (16 patients). RESULTS: None of the patients had
recurrence of enterocele, rectal prolapse, or intussusception at posto
perative follow-up. Continence was improved in 15 of 16 incontinent pa
tients. Emptying difficulties were unchanged in eight patients, improv
ed in five patients, and had deteriorated orated in four patients. CON
CLUSIONS: Enterocele is corrected by using the Ripstein rectopexy Pers
isting defecation difficulties after the Ripstein procedure are unlike
ly to be secondary to enterocele. The Ripstein procedure can be an alt
ernative in the treatment of enterocele, as a majority of these patien
ts also have rectal prolapse or rectal intussusception.