[End-to-end anastomosis in the primary repair of anal sphincter laceration occurring during delivery].
PURPOSE: To assess the quality of end-to-end anastomosis in the primary repair of anal sphincter laceration occurring during delivery. METHODS: Forty-nine women with third degree perineal laceration (PL III) and 42 controls were included in a 3-year postpartal follow-up study. RESULTS: Ultrasound showed end-to-end anastomosis to be inadequate in 22 (48.1 %) women. Thirty-one (63.2 %) women developed grade I-III anal incontinence. DISCUSSION: There was no correlation between ultrasound findings and the presence of anal incontinence. The unsatisfactory sonomorphometric outcome after 6 weeks results from inadequate repair with retraction of the sphincter ends. Defects newly demonstrated after 36 months indicate dedifferentiating atrophy with damage to peripheral motor nerves.