Secondary anal sphincter repair following obstetric injury. Significance of age for the functional result]

Anal sphinctre repair for obstetric sphinctre lesion was performed on 24 patients younger than 40 years and on 14 patients older than 40 years. Twenty patients younger than 40 years (83%; 95% confidence interval: 63-95) became continent compared to six (43%; 18-71) among women over the age of 40. Results of anorectal physiological examination including pudendal nerve terminal motor latency had no prognostic value. It is concluded that older females have a poorer outcome of anal sphinctre repair for obstetric trauma compared with younger females.