ENTEROCELE IS CORRECTABLE USING THE RIPSTEIN RECTOPEXY

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.