EVALUATION OF BOWEL HABITS, CLINICAL SYMPTOMS, AND TREATMENT OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH RECTAL PROLAPSE: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Mehdi Sarafi, Behzad Azimi, Aminollah Vsigh, Gholamreza Ebrahimisaraj*

Background: Rectal prolapse (RP) is defined as the protrusion of the rectum through the anal orifice. The present retrospective study was conducted to determine bowel habits, clinical manifestations, and treatment outcomes in patients with rectal prolapse. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on pediatric patients with a surgical diagnosis of rectal prolapse (RP) who underwent operative treatment in Ilam, Iran. A convenience sampling method was used, and all medical records of patients who had RP surgery between 2016 and 2025 were reviewed.  Data were collected using a researcher designed checklist, which included demographic characteristics, bowel habits, clinical symptoms, and treatment outcomes in children with rectal prolapse. The checklist was completed based on information documented in the patients’ medical records. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 16. Result: The results indicated a male predominance (61.8%) and a high prevalence of constipation (92.1%) and difficult defecation (98.7%) among the patients. Surgical intervention was highly effective, with 67.1% achieving complete recovery after a single procedure and a short hospital stay of one day. These findings highlight the efficacy of surgical management in children with rectal prolapse, yielding favorable outcomes with minimal morbidity. Conclusion: The findings of this retrospective study indicate that most children with rectal prolapse in Ilam presented with prominent symptoms of constipation and difficult defecation and were treated with a single surgical procedure and short hospitalization. Given the high rate of complete recovery and absence of mortality, surgical intervention appears to be an effective and relatively low risk approach for managing these patients.