Bowel > Bowel Treatments > Anterior Anal Sphincter Repair

Anterior Anal Sphincter Repair

If following an endoanal ultrasound scan, damage to the external anal sphincter has been diagnosed, surgical repair may be an option. The majority of sphincter repair operations are successful with 80% of people claiming to have a satisfactory outcome longer than 2 years following surgery.

This operation consists of a cut in front of the anus. The surgeon will then overlap the damaged muscle ends to form a complete ring of muscle around the anus. This operation would mean a 5 - 7 day stay in hospital and possibly a further 2 - 4 weeks off work to recover.

Although this is not major surgery there may be considerable swelling and bruising around the anus. It is advisable that women who would like to have children should wait to have this surgery until their family is completed or alternatively elect to have a caesarean delivery because a normal vaginal birth could damage the repair.