Li HL, Zhang HR, Wu Y, He KQ, Chen TJ, Wang J. Anal sphincter reconstruction for fecal incontinence: Techniques, outcomes, and future directions. World J Gastrointest Surg 2025; 17(11): 112868 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v17.i11.112868]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Hai-Liang Li, PhD, Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Huichuan Avenue, Zunyi 563099, Guizhou Province, China. lihailiang5612@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Nov 27, 2025 (publication date) through Nov 25, 2025
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Journal Information of This Article
Publication Name
World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery
ISSN
1948-9366
Publisher of This Article
Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Li HL, Zhang HR, Wu Y, He KQ, Chen TJ, Wang J. Anal sphincter reconstruction for fecal incontinence: Techniques, outcomes, and future directions. World J Gastrointest Surg 2025; 17(11): 112868 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v17.i11.112868]
Hai-Liang Li, Hao-Ran Zhang, Yuan Wu, Kai-Qiang He, Tian-Jie Chen, Jing Wang, Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi 563099, Guizhou Province, China
Co-first authors: Hai-Liang Li and Hao-Ran Zhang.
Author contributions: Li HL and Zhang HR made equal contributions as co-first authors; Zhang HR, Wang J, and Wu Y contributed to visualization and writing of original draft; Chen TJ, Li HL, and He KQ contributed to review and editing. All authors approved the final version to publish.
Supported by Science and Technology Projects in Guangzhou, No. SL2022A03J00756.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Hai-Liang Li, PhD, Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Zunyi, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Huichuan Avenue, Zunyi 563099, Guizhou Province, China. lihailiang5612@163.com
Received: August 8, 2025 Revised: September 12, 2025 Accepted: September 30, 2025 Published online: November 27, 2025 Processing time: 109 Days and 20.5 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Anal sphincter reconstruction is essential for fecal incontinence with structural defects. Overlapping sphincteroplasty provides good short-term results for acute injuries, though long-term efficacy often declines. Dynamic muscle transposition or artificial sphincters offer options for complex cases, despite significant complication risks. Sacral nerve stimulation demonstrates excellent sustained efficacy for neuromuscular dysfunction. Combining sphincteroplasty with sacral nerve stimulation represents a promising strategy for mixed defects. Regenerative approaches show potential but require further validation. Optimizing outcomes hinges on precise patient selection, multidisciplinary collaboration, and robust clinical trials to establish long-term safety and efficacy of evolving techniques.
