children s health issues
Anorectal Malformations
Treatment of Anorectal Malformations
Surgery Anal atresia usually requires immediate surgery to create a passage for stool and to close the fistula. However, sometimes infants first have a surgical procedure called temporary colostomy (see figure). In this procedure, the surgeon makes a hole in the abdominal wall and connects it to the colon to allow stool to flow into a plastic bag on the abdominal wall. The colostomy stays in place until the infant is older and the structures that need to be repaired have grown larger. The colostomy is closed when surgery to fully repair the defect is done. In a colostomy, the large intestine (colon) is cut. The healthy end of the large intestine, which is before the blockage, is brought to the skin surface through a surgically created opening in the abdominal wall. It is then stitched to the skin of the opening. Stool passes through the opening and into a disposable bag. The colostomy allows the remaining part of the large intestine to rest while the person recovers. After the person recovers from the surgery and the colon heals, the two ends can be reattached so that stool can pass normally. 