For short-segment Hirschsprung disease, daily trans-anal irrigation before pull-through surgery is necessary?

Objective: To explore the role of daily trans-anal irrigation (TAI) before pull-through surgery in preventing Hirschsprung disease-associated enterocolitis (HAEC) and improving other clinical outcomes in short-segment Hirschsprung disease (HSCR).

Methods: We enrolled the children with short-segment HSCR who received primary pull-through surgery from February 2012 to August 2019 at our hospital. They were divided into two groups. Daily TAI group: daily TAI once diagnosed until undergoing surgery. Non-daily TAI group: anal dilation or glycerine enema, supplemented with TAI if these were noneffective. HAEC, nutritional status at surgery, postoperative rehabilitation, and long-term defecation function were compared.

Results: A total of 191 children were enrolled, 147 in the Daily TAI group and 44 others. 44 pairs of children were successfully matched by 1:1 propensity score matching. In all, 10 (11.36%) of the 88 children developed HAEC, 5 (5/44, 11.36%) in the Daily TAI group and 5 (5/44, 11.36%) in another, and the difference was not statistically significant (χ² = 0.000, p = 1.000). Besides, there was no significant difference in the nutritional status at surgery, postoperative rehabilitation indicators, and the defecation function.

Conclusion: For children with short-segment HSCR, preoperative daily TAI had no significant advantage over non-daily TAI in preventing HAEC and improving other clinical outcomes.

Impact: For children with short-segment Hirschsprung disease, one or more times trans-anal irrigations (TAI) per day before pull-through surgery may not be necessary. Daily TAI had no significant advantage over non-daily TAI in preventing preoperative and postoperative HAEC. Whether to receive daily TAI before surgery did not affect postoperative recovery and long-term defecation function.