Thiersch Procedure
Encirclement of the anus with suture or synthetic material to mechanically prevent rectal prolapse protrusion - a palliative or bridging measure for frail patients unsuitable for definitive surgical repair.
What is Thiersch Procedure?
The Thiersch Procedure places a suture, silicone sling, or synthetic encircling material around the anal sphincter at the subcutaneous level - creating a mechanical barrier that prevents the prolapsed rectum from exiting the anal canal. It does not correct the underlying prolapse but provides symptomatic control with minimal anaesthetic risk. Dr. Samhitha Reddy uses the Thiersch Procedure at Lux Hospitals, Hyderabad as a palliative or bridging measure for patients with rectal prolapse who are medically frail, have extensive comorbidities precluding definitive surgery, or require short-term prolapse control before definitive repair can be performed under improved medical conditions.
How the Procedure Works
Assessment of Candidacy
Selected for medically frail patients with symptomatic full-thickness prolapse where definitive surgical repair is not feasible.
Local Anaesthesia
Local anaesthetic is infiltrated circumferentially around the anal verge. The procedure can be performed under local alone in very frail patients.
Material Placement
Two small incisions at 3 and 9 o'clock allow passage of a non-absorbable suture, silicone sling, or similar material circumferentially around the anus.
Tightening
The material is tied to appropriate tension - sufficient to prevent prolapse protrusion but not causing obstruction to faecal passage.
Post-operative Management
Regular digital examination at follow-up to assess position and tension. Stool softeners prescribed to prevent faecal impaction.
Outcomes
Who Needs This Treatment?
- →Simple procedure performable under local anaesthesia in very frail patients
- →Provides symptomatic control of prolapse protrusion without major surgery
- →Bridging measure to control prolapse while medical optimisation occurs
- →Minimal anaesthetic risk - important for elderly patients with significant comorbidities
- →Quick to perform - completed in under 20 minutes
- →Available at Lux Hospitals, Hyderabad as part of the complete rectal prolapse management programme
The Thiersch Procedure occupies a specific, important niche - for the very frail patient with distressing prolapse who cannot tolerate definitive surgery, it provides practical symptomatic relief with minimal risk. It is about matching the procedure to the patient, not the other way around.
— - Dr. Samhitha Reddy, Consultant Proctologist & Laparoscopic Surgeon
Common Questions
Frequently Asked
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