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Purpose: Few studies have focused on the operative age for Hirschsprung's disease (HD). We evaluated the optimal timing of surgery in HD patients based on their long-term bowel function. Methods: HD was diagnosed in 65 pediatric patients in our institute between 1992 and 2018. Twenty-five patients underwent the Soave–Denda procedure (SD) and 40 underwent transanal endorectal pull-through (TA). We divided these patients into two groups: those who underwent surgery at < 6 months of age (younger group) and those who underwent surgery at 6–12 months of age (older group). We assessed bowel function at 5, 7, and 9 years of age. Results: The bowel function of the patients who underwent the SD did not differ significantly between the groups. Similarly, the total bowel-function scores of the patients who underwent TA did not differ between the groups at any age. However, the soiling score at 7 years of age in the older group of patients who underwent TA was significantly lower than that in the younger group (p = 0.02). Conclusions: Our data suggest that to achieve optimal bowel function, TA should be performed at < 6 months of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In general, patients with anorectal malformation (ARM) undergo surgical treatment at around 6 months of age in Japan. We aimed to clarify whether the timing of a definitive operation affects the long-term bowel function. Methods: Patient data were collected from 1984 to 2007. Fifty-two male patients with high- and intermediate-type ARM were enrolled. Patients were classified into two groups based on their operative period: the early group (EG) underwent anorectoplasty at < 5 months of age (n = 22); the late group (LG) underwent anorectoplasty at ≥ 5 months (n = 30). The bowel function was evaluated at 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 years of age using the evacuation score (ES) of the Japan Society of Anorectal Malformation Study Group. Results: The total score and four functional outcomes improved chronologically with age. The constipation score in the EG showed significantly better improvement in comparison to the LG. The total score and the incontinence score in the EG were significantly higher than those in the LG at 11 years of age. Conclusion: The long-term bowel function in the EG was better than that in the LG. Anorectoplasty at an early age was important for achieving a better postoperative bowel function in ARM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]