Anal Dilation
Dilations continue, with decreasing frequency, after the Posterior Sagittal Anorectoplasty (PSARP) for a total period of approximately six months. The parent must continue passing the last desired size dilator twice per day until the dilator passes easily and without pain.
At the Colorectal Center for Children at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, we encourage the parents of children who undergo this type of procedure to buy a set of Hegar dilators from either of the following two places:
Jones Surgical Company, Inc.
101-21 Metropolitan Avenue
Forest Hills, NY
718-261-9500
NOTE: They do not accept insurance. You do not need a prescription.
Specialty Surgical Products, Inc. (SSP)
1-888-878-0811
406-961-0103 (fax)
info@ssp-inc.com
These are disposable but can be reused. You can purchase them individually or as a set. A prescription is required to order them. They do not accept insurance.
Two weeks after the operation, the child is brought to the clinic. The main subcuticular nylon suture is removed and the anus is calibrated with increasing sizes of Hegar dilators until we pass the one that fits snuggly in the anus. We then teach the caregiver how to pass this dilator and we instruct her to do it twice a day.
Every week, the size of the dilator must be changed to the next size one. Caregivers are encouraged to do it themselves at home but if they have difficulty, it can be done at the hospital.
This process of dilatation continues until the desired size is reached.
Instructions on Anal Dilation
The following information is only available in portable document format (.pdf). You must have Adobe Acrobat" Reader installed on your computer to read these files:
Contact the Colorectal Center at Cincinnati Children's
For more information or to request an appointment for the Colorectal Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, please contact us.
