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CASE REPORT
Successful treatment of recurrent rectal prolapse using three Thiersch sutures in children
  1. Kashif Chauhan1,
  2. Richard Wei Chern Gan2,
  3. Shailinder Singh1
  1. 1Department of Paediatric Surgery, Queen's Medical Campus, Nottingham, UK
  2. 2Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
  1. Correspondence to Kashif Chauhan, mkashifdr{at}yahoo.com

Summary

Many techniques are described to manage recurrent rectal prolapse in children, including repeated Thiersch stitch, phenol injections, Delorme and Altemeier procedures, and rectopexy. We describe a case of successful treatment of rectal prolapse by placing three Thiersch sutures circumferentially along the anal canal—a simple and novel modification of a well-known procedure. An 8-year-old boy with full-thickness rectal prolapse was treated with laxatives to no avail. He was subsequently treated with phenol-in-almond-oil injection and insertion of a 1/0PDS Thiersch suture. The effects were temporary with recurrence 3 months later. A further phenol-in-almond-oil injection was given and a 1/0PDS Thiersch suture placed, and the patient was discharged on laxatives. Recurrence occurred again at 3 months. This was treated with three circumferential Thiersch sutures along the anal canal—one Prolene 2/0 and two 1/0PDS. There has been no recurrence at follow-up. Placement of three sequential Thiersch sutures along the rectum is effective in treating recurrent rectal prolapse and a good alternative to major rectopexy.

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