ABSTRACT
Primary perineal wound healing is the process of complete healing of a wound that has been closed by suture at the time of rectal excision. Impaired primary healing may result from a wound haematoma or sepsis. The term persistent perineal sinus is confined to patients whose wound remains unhealed after 6 months. It was first reported in 1908 by Miles, as a complication of proctectomy, and it still occurs in a large proportion of patients undergoing this type of surgery. Avoidance of faecal contamination is crucial to the success of primary wound healing, so every effort should be made to prevent breaching of the anorectum during proctectomy. Meticulous care should be taken in sealing the anus by a reliable purse string suture as well as in the dissection of the anterior rectal wall from the vagina in women. Efficient suction drainage is crucial to the success of primary perineal wound closure.
