Posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP) is the procedure most commonly employed to repair high and intermediate anorectal malformations. Many patients repaired by PSARP subsequently require bowel management to avoid the physiologic and social problems associated with fecal incontinence. Laparoscopic assisted anorectal pull-through (LAARP) is a recently developed technique which positions the neorectum accurately inside the sphincter complex without dividing any of these muscles. Some physiologic measurements after LAARP indicate that outcomes are at least equivalent to PSARP. Long-term outcomes have not been reported after LAARP.
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama.
Address reprint requests and correspondence: Keith Georgeson, MD, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Alabama, 1600 7th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233.
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