Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41964786›Full record

ArticlePediatric surgery international2026

A pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation programme for pediatric patients undergoing colorectal surgery with sphincters involvement provides excellent results and more optimistic prognostic expectations.

E Cantone, R Raffo, S Camillo, S Tufano, R Sterpone, M Erculiani, G Mottadelli, R Di Matteo, T Bolgeo, A Pini Prato

Abstract read
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Article in Pediatric surgery international, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

E CantoneRehabilitation Unit, Umberto Bosio Center for Digestive Diseases, Borsalino Clinic, The Children Hospital, AOU SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
R RaffoRehabilitation Unit, Umberto Bosio Center for Digestive Diseases, Borsalino Clinic, The Children Hospital, AOU SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
S CamilloRehabilitation Unit, Umberto Bosio Center for Digestive Diseases, Borsalino Clinic, The Children Hospital, AOU SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
S TufanoRehabilitation Unit, Umberto Bosio Center for Digestive Diseases, Borsalino Clinic, The Children Hospital, AOU SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
R SterponePsichology Unit, Umberto Bosio Center for Digestive Diseases, The Children Hospital, AOU SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
M ErculianiChild Health Department, Pediatric Surgery Unit, Umberto Bosio Center for Digestive Diseases, The Children Hospital, AOU SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
G MottadelliChild Health Department, Pediatric Surgery Unit, Umberto Bosio Center for Digestive Diseases, The Children Hospital, AOU SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
R Di MatteoRehabilitation Unit, Umberto Bosio Center for Digestive Diseases, Borsalino Clinic, The Children Hospital, AOU SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
T BolgeoResearch Training Innovation Infrastructure, Department of Research and Innovation, AOU SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy.
A Pini PratoChild Health Department, Pediatric Surgery Unit, Umberto Bosio Center for Digestive Diseases, The Children Hospital, AOU SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, Alessandria, Italy. apini@ospedale.al.it.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionA high prevalence of patients operated on for Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) and Anorectal Malformations (ARM) may suffer from faecal incontinence. This prospective interventional study was aimed at assessing the possible benefits of paediatric pelvic floor muscle (PFM) rehabilitation in the treatment of such patients. MATERIALS AND

methodsAll consecutive paediatric patients with HSCR and ARM complaining of continence issues admitted between January 2021 and December 2023 have been included. PFM rehabilitation was carried out with a therapist-patient ratio of 1:1. Patients were assessed with Wexner and Rintala scales at different timepoints (T0 enrolment, T1 after rehabilitation and T2 1 year post-rehabilitation).

resultsA total of 49 patients (36 HSCR and 13 ARM) were enrolled. Median age was 10 years. Median Wexner score was 6 at T0, 5 at T1 and 2 at T2 with significant improvements both at T1 and T2. Median Rintala score was 11 at T0, 13 at T1, and 14 at T2 with significant improvements both at T1 and T2. The worse was the score at the beginning, the more evident was the improvement at subsequent timepoints. Similar results were achieved in HSCR and ARM. One third of patients using TAI at T0, reduced or abandoned it after PFM rehabilitation. DISCUSSION: This is the first prospective interventional study addressing PFM rehabilitation in paediatric patients after colorectal surgery. We demonstrated safety, tolerability, and effectiveness for both HSCR and ARM and demonstrated that effects last in the long-term reducing the likelihood of symptoms recurrence.

Indexed as

Anal CanalAnorectal MalformationsExercise TherapyFecal IncontinenceHirschsprung DiseasePelvic FloorPostoperative ComplicationsAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolColorectal Surgical ProceduresFemaleHumansMalePrognosisProspective StudiesAnorectal malformationsHirschsprungIncontinenceOutcomeRehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID41964786

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.