Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Mar 27, 2026; 18(3): 116575
Published online Mar 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i3.116575
Published online Mar 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v18.i3.116575
Sutured rectal lift for obstructed defecation: Mesh-free sphincter-preserving transanal technique for Oxford grade II-III prolapse
Claudio Eduardo Pagano, Umberto Favetta, Roberto Picheo, Fabrizio Gambarini, Proctological and Pelvic Floor Surgery Unit, Istituto di Cura Città di Pavia, Pavia 27100, Lombardy, Italy
Sonia Sarnari, Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases Center, Azienda ULSS 2 "Marca Tre
Angelo Guttadauro, Department of Surgery, University of Milan-Bicocca, Monza 20900, Italy
Michele Schiano di Visconte, Department of General Surgery, Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases Center, Azienda ULSS 2 “Marca Trevigiana”, Treviso 31100, Veneto, Italy
Author contributions: Schiano di Visconte M designed the research study; Pagano CE, Sarnari S, Favetta U, Picheo R, Gambarini F, Guttadauro A and Schiano di Visconte M performed the technical development and bench simulations and contributed to data analysis and interpretation; Schiano di Visconte M and Pagano CE drafted the manuscript; all authors revised the manuscript for important intellectual content and approved the final version.
Institutional review board statement: This basic study did not involve human participants, identifiable personal data, or the use of animal models. Therefore, formal approval by an institutional review board or ethics committee was not required, in accordance with national and international regulations.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Data sharing statement: No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study; therefore, data sharing is not applicable.
Corresponding author: Michele Schiano di Visconte, MD, PhD, Chief, Department of General Surgery, Colorectal and Pelvic Floor Diseases Center, Azienda ULSS 2 “Marca Trevigiana”, Via Sant'Ambrogio in Fiera, Treviso 31100, Veneto, Italy. mschianodivisconte@gmail.com
Received: November 14, 2025
Revised: December 13, 2025
Accepted: January 15, 2026
Published online: March 27, 2026
Processing time: 133 Days and 13.3 Hours
Revised: December 13, 2025
Accepted: January 15, 2026
Published online: March 27, 2026
Processing time: 133 Days and 13.3 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Obstructed defecation syndrome due to internal rectal prolapse requires options beyond resection or mesh rectopexy. Sutured rectal lift is a physiological, mesh-free, sphincter-preserving transanal suspension. This basic study details the anatomic rationale, step-by-step standardization, and bench validation of suture-based lift to restore the rectal axis and compliance. By focusing on Oxford grade II–III prolapse and excluding multicompartmental descent, we provide reproducible technical guidance and implementation pearls that are distinct from the clinical outcomes reported elsewhere. The aim was to enable safe adoption, inform the study design, and avoid data overlap with prior clinical series.