Manometric assessment of patients with obstetric injuries and fecal incontinence

Anorectal manometry was performed with a multilumen continuously perfused catheter in nine women with fecal incontinence after vaginal delivery. All patients had a third-degree or fourth-degree perineal laceration. The median age was 30 (range, 24 to 38) years. Anal manometry revealed low resting and squeeze pressures with a mean pressure of 28.7 +/- 5.3 mm Hg (normal, 60 to 80 mm Hg) and 42.5 +/- 5.9 mm Hg (normal, 100 to 150 mm Hg), respectively. Seven of nine patients had specific anterior quadrant defects demonstrated by cross-sectional analysis of the sphincter. In addition, five patients had evidence of global defects of the sphincter or relatively low pressures in other portions of the sphincter. Follow-up manometric data were obtained in four patients after reconstruction of the sphincter and demonstrated a mean improvement of resting and squeeze pressures of 5.1 mm Hg and 16.0 mm Hg, respectively. Although specific anterior defects may be expected with the history of obstetric trauma, the presence of global defects of the sphincter was unexpected and may support the role of injury to the innervation of the musculature of the pelvic floor as a contributing cause of fecal incontinence after childbirth. Anal manometry provides a quantitative assessment of sphincter function and dysfunction and is an important part of the preoperative assessment of patients with fecal incontinence from obstetric injuries.