Quality of life of patients with Hirschsprung’s disease and anorectal Malformation after pull through Surgery”: observational study

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Hirschsprung’s disease and Anorectal malformations are the most common conditions for which pediatric surgery outpatients come to the hospital. Most common procedures performed for Hirschsprung’s disease are Swenson procedure, Duhamel

procedure, Soave procedure where aganglionic segment is removed and anastomosis is done. Posterior sagittal anorectoplasty/Anterior sagittal anorectoplasty is the most common procedures performed for Anorectal malformations. But irrespective of the type of surgical procedure patient undergone for the anatomical correction quality of life of the patient post-surgery is still unclear. As post operatively these children experience wide range of complications such as fecal incontinence, constipation, enterocolitis etc., A disease-specific tool measuring the quality of life (QoL) of children and adolescents with fecal incontinence was developed in the Netherlands and is called the Hirschsprung's Disease/Anorectal Malformation Quality of life Questionnaire (HAQL) which helped to determine the quality of life of the subjectively.