title: Re-operation for Hirschsprung's disease: experience in 24 patients from China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to review the authors' 12-year experience with re-operative surgery for Hirschsprung's disease (HD) including indications of re-operation and surgical technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the data of 24 patients who underwent re-operation from 1998 to 2010. The type of initial procedure, clinical presentations, indications and details of redo surgery, and the functional results were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The primary operations performed on these patients included Duhamel (nine cases), Soave (12 cases), Swenson (one case) and Rehbein (two cases). The indications for re-operation were recurrent constipation due to severe anastomotic stricture (five cases), residual aganglionic segments (five cases) and gate syndrome after Duhamel procedure (five cases); fistula formation including rectocutaneous fistula (six cases), rectovaginal fistula (one case), complex fistula (two cases). The redo procedure ranged from posterior sagittal approach combined with laparotomy (seven cases), Soave procedure (seven cases, six conventional Soave + one transanal Soave), Duhamel procedure (one case), Rehbein procedure (three cases), re-using the stapling device (five cases), repairing the rectovaginal fistula via laparotomy (one case). We have followed up the patients for 7 months to 6 years (mean 2.5 years). After re-operation, in 22 patients older than 3 years, 19 (86.4%) have normal or near normal bowel habits with a stool frequency of 1-5 times per day, two have voluntary bowel movements but occasional soiling (once or twice per week) and without significant incontinence, one presented rectosacral fistula due to careless dilatation. There were no deaths.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Re-operation can work out the anatomical or pathological problems resulted from failed initial procedure and improve the patient's quality of life. Posterior sagittal approach, Soave and Duhamel are all safe and effective, but we still need to try our best to diminish the necessity of re-operation.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of Shanghai, Shanghai Jiaotong University,  No. 24, Lane 1400, West Beijing Rd, 200040, Shanghai, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qingfeng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Zhibao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Xianmin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006627:Hirschsprung Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome