title: Anal sphincter repair in patients with obstetric trauma: age affects outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to determine whether advancing age affects the outcome of anal sphincter repair in patients with obstetric trauma and fecal incontinence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anal sphincter repair was performed on 24 patients younger than 40 (median age, 30) years and on 14 patients older than 40 (median age, 57) years. All patients had previous obstetric trauma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty patients younger than 40 years (83 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 63-95 percent) became continent, or incontinent to flatus only, after anal sphincter repair, whereas four patients had unchanged incontinence. Among patients older than 40 years, six patients (43 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 18-71 percent) became continent, whereas eight patients remained incontinent (40 percent difference in functional outcome between younger and older patients; 95 percent confidence interval, 10-70 percent).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older females have a poorer outcome of anal sphincter repair for obstetric trauma compared with younger females.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery D, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: O O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Puggaard
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Christiansen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001003:Anal Canal / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000601:surgery*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016896:Treatment Outcome