Anal sphincter repair in patients with obstetric trauma - Age affects outcome

PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine whether advancing age affects the outcome of anal sphincter repair in patients with obstetric trauma and fecal incontinence. METHODS: Anal sphincter repair was performed on 24 pat ients younger than 40 (median age, 30) years and on 14 patients older than 40 (median age, 57) years. All patients had previous obstetric trauma. RESU LTS: Twenty patients younger than 40 years (83 percent; 95 percent confiden ce interval, 63-95 percent) became continent, or incontinent to flatus only , after anal sphincter repair, whereas four patients had unchanged incontin ence. Among patients order than 40 years, six patients (43 percent; 95 perc ent confidence interval, 18-71 percent) became continent, whereas eight pat ients remained incontinent (40 percent difference in functional outcome bet ween younger and older patients; 95 percent confidence interval, 10-70 perc ent). CONCLUSION: Older females have a poorer outcome of anal sphincter rep air for obstetric trauma compared with younger females.