Colorectal Conundrum: November 13, 2023

Colorectal Conundrum for January 29: A male with a rectoperineal fistula undergoes a PSARP with mobilization of the rectum, both anterior and posterior rectal walls. In the days following surgery he starts to drain urine around the anoplasty consistent with a urethral injury. He is also voiding via the penis. A cystogram is shown below. How would you manage this situation? Answer: This patient has suffered from a urethral injury, and urine is draining out the posterior urethra into the perineum around the anoplasty. The key first step is to divert the urine with a suprapubic tube. A colostomy is not necessarily needed. The fistula might heal with diversion. If after a month or so a cystogram shows the persistence of the fistula, then a redo is needed with re-mobilization of the rectum, fully lifting the anterior rectal wall off of the urinary tract, and repair the urethra, with coverage of the posterior urethra with an ischiorectal fat pad. Then a voiding trial a month later with ultimate removal of the SP tube.

Colorectal Conundrum for January 22nd: In the previous week’s case, of an imperforate hymen, the MRI showed dilation all the way down to the perineum. Management involved a perineal – introital – incision to drain the fluid. If that were not the case and you had a dilated vagina but the distal extent was far away from the introital area, how might you handle that hydrocolpos? Answer: If this were a case of hydrolpos with normal anus and normal urethra, and the vagina cannot be drained by the introitus like an imperforate hymen, then drainage needs to be from above. IR or laparoscopy is an ideal approach to get a drain in the dilated structure (remember this could be bilateral, so both sides may need to be drained. Drainage is to relieve distension and most concerning its potential cause of distal ureteral obstruction causing hydronephrosis. Once the material hormones have dissipated the hydrocolpos will resolve and can be dealt with later in life via a laparoscopic distal vaginal pull-through, after the onset of puberty. In such a patient, I would follow closely with ultrasound 6 months after thelarche (breast budding).