Treating Hirschsprung's disease
requires surgery to remove the affected bowel
and then join the healthy bowel segments. There are three different approaches, each with a high rate of success. The choice depends on the overall health of the child and the training and experience of the surgeon
Sometimes a single surgical procedure is recommended to remove the aganglionic segment
, then bring the healthy bowel down into the rectum
, and join it to the rectal wall
: this is called a "pull-through
. If an infant
is too small or a child is critically
ill, a temporary colostomy
may be necessary prior to the pull-through.
In a colostomy, the colon is brought out to the surface of the abdomen
so that stool contents can be discharged
into a special bag for disposal
Subsequent to the colostomy, the pull-through surgery can be planned. The colostomy opening can then closed at the time of the pull-through, or, in some cases, at a third operation after it is clear that the pull-through is working.
For most children with Hirschsprung's disease, there are no long-term complications
after successful surgery. A significant minority of children, though, are troubled with persistent constipation
), or persistent enterocolitis
Personal Note: Being affected with this disease, and not having had the surgery due to incorrect early diagnosis, I am inspired to say that living with this problem without surgery is very difficult. You may experince humiliation due to inability to control bowel movments, severe pain when having bowel movments, and constant illness due to the inability to remove toxins from the body. Please do not allow a child to grow up with this disease.