A 73-year-old otherwise healthy female presented to the emergency treatment unit with sudden worsening of rectal procidentia (rectal prolapse) and pain for 3 h after straining at defecation. She had a history of reducible complete rectal prolapse for 4 years, for which she did not seek treatment. She had three uncomplicated vaginal deliveries in the past. On examination, she was found to have evisceration of the small bowel through the anus rather than a rectal prolapse, without any macroscopic evidence of strangulation (). There was associated uterovaginal prolapse and perineal descent suggestive of pelvic floor dysfunction. She was hemodynamically stable with normal blood pressure and heart rate. Her biochemical investigations including serum lactate were all normal. Emergency laparotomy was performed and the small bowel was reduced into the abdomen with ease. She was found to have a linear tear, 6 cm from the anal verge on the anterior wall of the middle part of the rectum without any macroscopic evidence of ischemia or neoplasm (). The reduced small bowel was normal in appearance with good peristalsis. Primary repair of the rectal defect was carried out after obtaining a biopsy from the rectal tear and a proximal defunctioning ileostomy was created. Histological examination of the rectal biopsy was unremarkable. She was managed in the intensive care unit for 2 days post-operatively and had an uneventful recovery. The patient was discharged on the fifth post-operative day.
Mrs. B. O. is a 40-year-old petty trader. She is para 1+0 with one living male child. She achieved menarche at 14 years of age. She has a regular 28 days menstrual cycle with 4 days menstrual flow, and her last menstrual period was on January 15, 2014. She presented at the gynecology clinic of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital on January 22, 2014 with complaints of masses protruding from her vagina and anus of 24 months duration. The protrusions started 5 months after a spontaneous unsupervised delivery at home of a live male baby. The concomitant protrusions occurred spontaneously. They were usually noticed while straining, sneezing, coughing or in standing position, but often receded spontaneously while in a recumbent position. There was associated low back pain, urinary frequency, and constipation. There was no chronic cough, weight lifting, dysuria, abdominal swelling, or similar family history. About 6 months prior to the presentation, the condition became associated with weight loss and difficulty in holding her stool. The vaginal protrusion no longer receded spontaneously in recumbent position and then required manual reduction. On examination, she appeared generally well. There were no abnormal findings on the examination of the chest, abdomen, central nervous system, and the musculoskeletal system. Pelvic examination showed a protrusion of the entire uterus from the vagina. The protrusion was reducible with associated mild cystocele []. There was no demonstrable stress incontinence. The cervix was healthy looking and the os was parous. The uterus was normal sized, retroverted, and mobile. The adnexa were free. Rectal examination showed a concomitant mass (rectum) protruding from the anus []. There was associated fecal incontinence, but the rectal mucosa was normal. A diagnosis of concomitant occurrence of uterovaginal prolapse (procidentia) and rectal prolapse was made. The hemoglobin concentration, white cell count, urinalysis, culture of her midstream urine, stool analysis and culture, and abdominopelvic ultrasound showed no abnormality. In view of her parity and desire to retain her reproductive function, she and her husband were counseled for open abdominal sacrohysteropexy with synthetic mesh and rectopexy, which they consented to. Following the above investigation results which were available within 2 weeks from her first clinic visit, she was admitted into the ward for the above surgery. While in the ward, she was reviewed by the general surgeons who commenced her on a 1-day mechanical bowel preparation alongside with antibiotics bowel preparation, using the oral neomycin and metronidazole for antibiotics bowel preparation. She had an overnight fasting prior to the day of surgery and was placed on intravenous fluid (normal saline) to ensure adequate rehydration. She received intravenous ceftriaxone and metronidazole as preoperative antibiotics medication. She subsequently had a successful surgery done by a combined team of gynecologists and general surgeons. The surgical procedure briefly involved a general anesthesia/endotracheal intubation; peritoneal cavity entered via a midline sub-umbilical incision; synthetic mesh sutured to the back of the cervix with the other end sutured to a prominent part of sacral promontory (sacrohysteropexy); rectum lifted and sutures taken to secure the sides to the sacrum with a synthetic mesh that provided added reinforcement (rectopexy).\nThe postoperative period was uneventful and she is being follow-up in the gynecologic clinic. Her last clinic visit, before this report was on June 30, 2014; she had no complaint and was happy with the procedure.