Complications of anal surgery

Abstract

In an era of increasing specialisation and fragmentation of general surgery, coloproctology continues to be an increasingly important growth area. This reflects the multiple disease processes that we are called upon to manage, particularly in and around the perianal region. An abundance of pathology is matched by an ever-expanding armamentarium of therapies, increasing pressure from purchasers and managers to reduce hospital stay to curtail costs, and the need to minimise the risk of litigation. For this reason it is important to be aware of potential complications by appropriate training and keeping up to date with evidence-based practice. Effective treatments such as conventional haemorrhoidectomy have been around for many years and have stood the test of time, whereas other procedures, such as post-anal repair, have been abandoned in favour of other recent developments, such as sacral nerve stimulation. The success of a procedure is not only gauged by its ability to cure the disease, but also its potential for harm. This chapter highlights the potential complications arising from anal and perianal surgery. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.