A Modified Surgical Approach to Women With Obstetric Anal Sphincter Tears

Long-term results after obstetric anal sphincter tears (AST) is poor. The investigators aim to improve the long-term outcome after AST in terms of symptoms of anal incontinence. A prospective study at, Malmö University Hospital. Twenty-six women with at least grade 3B AST were classified and sutured in a systematic way, including separate suturing of the internal and external sphincter muscles with monofilament absorbable sutures. The principal outcome was a difference in anal incontinence score, based on six questions, between the study group and two control groups (women with prior AST \[n = 180\] and primiparous women delivered vaginally without AST \[n = 100\]).