Development of Frequency of Stools over Time in Children with Hirschsprung Disease Posttransanal Endorectal One-Stage Pull-through

Background The transanal endorectal one-stage pull-through (TERPT) procedure in children with Hirschsprung disease (HD) is frequently used worldwide. To give the children's families realistic expectations and to plan the medical care for the period after TERPT, the outcome is of great importance. Aim The aim of this article is to collect information on the number of stools passed daily after one-stage TERPT procedure for HD. Patients and Methods A prospective follow-up study for collecting information on the outcome of planned TERPT from 2005 through 2012 was performed. A control group consisting of age and gender matched children was used. Results The results show an initial high frequency of daily stools, median 12 stools/day (range, 3-30 stools/day), reaching an acceptable situation with median 4 stools/day (range, 0-10 stools/day) after 1 year. After 4 years, the number of stools did not differ significantly from healthy controls. Conclusion This study shows that it takes 4 years after TERPT before the number of stools becomes normalized. To compare the long-term outcome, it would be desirable to have uniform regular reports on the daily frequency of passed stools, incontinence, and constipation during the years after TERPT.