What is the significance of rectal intussusception ?
This is not always clear. Some asymptomatic normal volunteers undergoing defaecation proctography were found to have rectorectal Intussusception, a fact also mirrored by some asymptomatic patiebnts undergoing digital rectal examination. On the other hand some patients with recto-rectal intussusception are symptomatic, which may occur for a variety of reasons, including narrow diameter of intussuscpted bowel or associated presence of S shaped rectum, redundant sigmoid, slow colonic motility or fixed pelvic bends. Recto-anal intussusception, on the other hand is not uncommonly associated with obstructed defaecatory symptoms, even when isolated [although it can be equally associated with the factors mentioned in the preceeding paragraph]. l Which is more important, an intussusception or a rectocoele? In many patients there is an associated rectocoele as well. It is somewhat difficult to tell which is more symptomatic. I have repaired large rectocoeles for many years believing there were m
