title: Surgical treatment of anal stenosis: assessment of 77 anoplasties.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anal stenosis is a rare, incapacitating, and challenging condition, occurring mainly after hemorrhoidectomy, for which several surgical techniques have been devised. The purpose of this study was to describe early and late (1 year) results of 77 anoplasty operations performed in the Colorectal Unit of our institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1977 to 2002, 77 patients with moderate to severe anal stenosis underwent surgery using two sliding graft techniques: 58 underwent Sarner's operation and 19 underwent Musiari's technique. Bilateral flaps were used in 7 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early morbidity was due to pruritus occurring in 2 patients, urinary infection in 1, and temporary incontinence in 1 patient. One patient needed early reoperation following suture line dehiscence. Late results (1 year) were classified as good in 67 cases (87%). There was no reoperation due to recurrence of stenosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ease of performance, good functional results, and lack of severe complications show that Sarner's and Musiari's flap advancement techniques are effective and safe methods for surgical correction of anal stenosis, particularly when cutaneous fibrosis plays a major role in its etiology.
authors.affiliation: Colorectal Unit, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Angelita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Habr-Gama
authors.forename: Carlos Walter
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Sobrado
authors.forename: Sergio Eduardo Alonso
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: de Araújo
authors.forename: Sergio Carlos
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Nahas
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Birbojm
authors.forename: Caio Sergio Rizkallah
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Nahas
authors.forename: Desidério Roberto
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Kiss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001003:Anal Canal / Q000601:surgery*; D001004:Anus Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012086:Reoperation; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000592:standards*; D016896:Treatment Outcome