Complications of surgery for anorectal malformations

Despite significant technical advances in the surgical repair of anorectal malformations, complications in the management of these patients are still common. The preoperative evaluation is vital, the definitive repair is fraught with potential complications, which often require a secondary procedure, and proper postoperative care, both in the short and long term, is an essential part of a patient’s successful outcome. Complications are not isolated to patients with complex malformations, but include the entire spectrum of malformations, and in fact are quite common for the relatively benign malformations.