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Congenital megacolon
Before surgery, a procedure called serial rectal irrigation helps relieve pressure in (decompress) the bowel.
The abnormal section of colon must be removed with surgery. Most commonly, the rectum and abnormal part of the colon are removed. The healthy part of the colon is then pulled down and attached to the anus.
Sometimes this can be done in one operation. However, it is often done in two parts. A colostomy is performed first, and another procedure is performed later in the child's first year of life.
Symptoms improve or go away in most children after surgery. A small number of children may have constipation or problems controlling stools (fecal incontinence). Children who get treated early or who have a shorter segment of bowel involved have a better outcome.
Call your child's health care provider if:
Kessmann J. Hirschsprung's Disease: Diagnosis and Management. Am Fam Phys. 2006;74:1319-1322.
Wyllie R. Motility disorders and Hirschsprung disease. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 329.
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