Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang, China 110004.
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to explore the long-term outcome and the colon and sphincter function in children undergoing the Swenson's operation for Hirschsprung's disease (HD). METHODS: Three hundred forty-six children (266 males and 80 females) undergoing Swenson's operation for HD for 8 to 20 years were followed up. Barium enema and defecography, total and segmental colonic transit time with the simplified radioopaque markers, and the anorectal vector manometry were used. RESULTS: Stooling patterns were fair in most patients, and the functional examinations were abnormal in few cases. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term outcome is satisfactory in most of the children undergoing the Swenson's operation for HD, but it is still not as good as what the surgeons have expected. This is probably because of the abnormal colonic motility and/or the dysfunctions of the internal anal sphincter.