ABSTRACT
These patients do not require a protective colostomy as part of their treatment. The most prominent anatomical feature in this type of defect is that rectum and vagina do not share a common wall (Fig. 56.11). Thus, the technical implication is that the rectum can be mobilized easily without risking injury to the vagina. Patients have otherwise normal muscle structures and a normal sacrum. The incidence of associated defects of the urinary tract or spine is almost nil. The patients may require a small operation for the repair of this defect, but usually it does not represent an emergency, since anal dilations are usually enough to decompress the bowel.
