Reconstructive perineoplasty in the management of non-healing wounds after anorectal surgery

Non-healing wounds (NHW) following anorectal surgery cause great distress to the patient and may be followed by a retracting scar causing anal deformity and incontinence. The management of NHW is controversial. The aim of this study was to review our experience with reconstructive perineoplasty in the treatment of such condition. From January 1992 to June 2000, we treated 12 patients affected by NHW (4 men and 8 women, mean age 47 years), not responding to conservative treatment. None had Crohn's disease or HIV infection. Pre- and postoperative anal manometry and ultrasound were carried out in 8 patients. All had microspinal anesthesia, mechanical preparation of the intestine, and perineal wound cleansing. Reconstructive perineoplasty was performed by means of local flaps (i.e. cutaneous, fasciocutaneous, myocutaneous). Median follow-up was 13 months (range, 1 to 70). Postoperative complications were as follows: 5 perineal suture dehiscences (1 total, 4 partial), the flap being resutured in one case under local anesthesia; one patient required dilatations for mild anal stricture. No case of gross fecal incontinence, retracting scar or perineal ulcer was observed. Among those patients who had disordered anal continence prior to surgery, all but one improved continence score following perineoplasty from 2.8±2.2 to 1.8±1.2 (mean ± sdm, not significant). Following reconstructive perineoplasty, no significant change was observed in functional and morphologic patterns of the anal sphincters either at manometry or by ultrasound. Reconstructive perineoplasty resulted in a good functional and clinical outcome in most cases and, therefore, may be considered an effective procedure in the management of NHW.