Parental subfertility, fertility treatment, and the risk of congenital anorectal malformations.

Background: Fertility treatment seems to play a role in the etiology of congenital anorectal malformations, but it is unclear whether the underlying parental subfertility, ovulation induction, or the treatment itself is involved. Therefore, we investigated the odds of anorectal malformations among children of subfertile parents who conceived with or without treatment compared with fertile parents.

Methods: We performed a case-control study among 380 cases with anorectal malformations treated at 3 departments of pediatric surgery in The Netherlands and 1973 population-based controls born between August 1988 and August 2012.

Early versus late reconstruction of cloacal malformations: the effects on postoperative complications and long-term colorectal outcome.

Introduction: Patients with a cloacal malformation generally undergo reconstructive surgery within the first years of life. However, the ideal age for surgery has rarely been mentioned. The aim of this study was to report differences in outcome between early (<6 months) and late repair of cloacal malformations.

Transanal endorectal pull-through for classic segment Hirschsprung's disease: with or without laparoscopic mobilization of the rectosigmoid?

Background: It has been suggested that the outcome of transanal endorectal pull-through for classic Hirschprung's disease can be improved by laparoscopically mobilizing the colon before the pullthrough.

Methods: Charts of 43 patients (2005-2009) with proven recto-sigmoid aganglionosis were retrospectively analyzed with respect to postoperative outcomes. Twenty-one had been treated with the transanal endorectal pull through (TERPT) and 22 with the laparoscopically assisted TERPT (LTERPT).