Adult Hirschsprung's disease: results of surgical treatment at Mayo Clinic.

Fifty adult patients with Hirschsprung's disease were operated on at the Mayo Clinic between 1950 and 1978. Six different operations were used. Of the three patients treated by the Soave endorectal pull-through procedure, two suffered anastomotic leaks and required diverting colostomies; all three had excellent long-term results, however. All four patients who underwent the Duhamel procedure had excellent results, with only one minor complication. Of the 17 patients undergoing the Swenson procedure, 6 had major postoperative complications, including 2 with impotence; 3 (17.6 per cent) patients who underwent rectal myectomy, there was one minor complication, although 5 (38.5 per cent) had unsatisfactory results. Six patients had anterior resection, one of whom died of generalized peritonitis from an anastomotic leak, and one patient suffered recurrent megacolon that required resection of an additional segment of colon. Four of the five survivors had excellent results. Of the seven patients who underwent left hemicolectomy or total abdominal colectomy, two had serious postoperative complications, and two required resection of an additional segment of colon because of recurrent symptoms. All seven patients eventually had excellent results.