For a study, researchers sought to examine long-term bowel function, and generic quality of life in Hirschsprung patients with complete colonic or long-segment vs rectosigmoid aganglionosis, Participants with established Hirschsprung disease were given the Defecation and Fecal Continence questionnaire, the Child Health Questionnaire Child Form-87, or the WHO Quality of Life-100 in the countrywide cross-sectional study. Investigators omitted individuals who had died, were under the age of 8, resided abroad, had a permanent enterostomy, or were mentally ill. The study population (n=334) had rectosigmoid (83.9%), long-segment (8.7%), or complete colonic aganglionosis operated on (7.5%). Fecal incontinence was not significantly different between the 3 groups in general, but liquid fecal incontinence was significantly correlated with overall colonic aganglionosis (odds ratio [OR] = 6.00, 95% CI 2.07–17.38, P=0.001). Constipation was less common in patients with complete colonic or long-segment aganglionosis than in the rectosigmoid group (OR=0.21, 95% CI, 0.05–0.91, P=0.038 and OR=0.11, 95% CI, 0.01–0.83, P=0.032, respectively). Except for a lower physical score in children with complete colonic aganglionosis (P=0.016), the 3 groups’ quality of life was comparable. With time, Hirschsprung patients with complete colonic aganglionosis or long-segment aganglionosis did not experience worsening fecal incontinence. The link between liquid fecal incontinence and complete colonic aganglionosis and constipation in patients with rectosigmoid aganglionosis could be due to a variation in stool consistency. Despite the disparities, their overall quality of life was comparable when people reached maturity.
Source:journals.lww.com/jpgn/Fulltext/2022/03000/Functional_Outcomes_After_Surgery_for_Total.9.aspx
