FOREIGN BODIES IN THE RECTUM

FOREIGN BODIES IN THE RECTUM

The variety of foreign bodies that have found their way into the rectum is hardly less remarkable than the ingenuity displayed in their removal ( Figure 79.5 ). The di ffi culty lies in the creation of a vacuum e ff ect when trying to extract the object through the anus. If insurmountable di ffi culty is experi - enced in grasping any foreign body in the rectum, laparotomy or laparoscopy is usually necessary . The object can be pushed from above into the assistant’s fingers in the rectum or removed by means of a rectotomy in a proximal area of the rectum. If there is considerable laceration of the mucosa, a temporary colostomy is advisable. Summary box 79.4 Injuries to the rectum are serious and invariably require surgery /uni25CF /uni25CF /uni25CF

A temporary colostomy is often necessary There is a serious risk of associated necrotising fasciitis, and broad-spectrum antibiotics are mandatory There may be associated bladder or urethral damage