Laparoscopic Suture Versus Posterior Mesh Rectopexy for Surgical Treatment of Internal Rectal Prolaps

Background: When the entire thickness of the rectum protrudes into the anal canal, this condition is called rectal prolapse. Internal rectal prolapse, also known as rectal intussusception, occurs when the prolapsed rectal wall does not extend into the anus. Aim and objectives: In order to evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic suture (LS) vs posterior mesh rectopexy (LPMR) in addressing obstructed defecation and internal rectal prolapse. Patients and methods: Researchers from the Al-Azhar Faculty of Medicine's research ethics committee gave their stamp of approval to this prospective study (MS 10-2023), which took place in the hospital's General Surgery Department. Thirty patients were enrolled in the trial with the intention of undergoing a 6-month post-operative follow-up from January 1, 2023, to April 1, 2024, for the treatment of internal rectal prolapse with ODS that had not responded to constitutional and medicinal interventions. Results: At 6 and 12 months, there was a statistically significant difference between the groups when it came to squeeze anal pressure, first sensation, first urge, and intense urge defecation, but there was no difference when it came to resting anal pressure. Conclusion: Despite LS's decreased laxative reliance, LPMR had a shorter operation time and better squeezing anal pressure, first sensation, initial urge, acute urge defecation, and modified Longo score. But, there were some caveats to our study, including a smaller sample size.