Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42417975›Full record

ArticlePediatric surgery international2026

Pediatric surgical care of anorectal malformations: a global survey.

Vatche Melkonian, Sage A Vincent, Luis De la Torre, Hendren Project Global Surgery Research Initiative, Kaitlin E Olson, Jill Ketzer, Alberto Pena, Andrea Bischoff

Abstract readMulticenter Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric surgery international, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Vatche MelkonianInternational Center for Colorectal and Urogenital Care, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 East 16th Avenue, B323, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Sage A VincentDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 East 16th Avenue, B323, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Luis De la TorreInternational Center for Colorectal and Urogenital Care, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 East 16th Avenue, B323, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Hendren Project Global Surgery Research Initiative
Kaitlin E OlsonChild Health Biostatistics Core, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 East 16th Avenue, B065, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Jill KetzerInternational Center for Colorectal and Urogenital Care, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 East 16th Avenue, B323, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Alberto PenaInternational Center for Colorectal and Urogenital Care, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 East 16th Avenue, B323, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Andrea BischoffInternational Center for Colorectal and Urogenital Care, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 East 16th Avenue, B323, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA. andrea.bischoff@childrenscolorado.org.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAll patients born with anorectal malformations (ARMs) deserve high-quality healthcare, including appropriate neonatal screening, perioperative management, and long-term follow-up. This study examined global pediatric surgical practices for ARM management, identifying areas of consensus and variability in perioperative care and reported outcomes.

methodsA multi-center survey distributed by The Hendren Project (a global networked community of pediatric surgeons) invited surgeons to retrospectively review their ten most recent primary ARM reconstructions, excluding reoperations. Data were compared by country/continent and World Bank income.

resultsA total of 144 surgeons from 90 hospitals in 50 countries reported outcomes for 900 patients. Sacral radiographs were inconsistently obtained, with 34.2% lacking lateral views and 21.9% missing anterior-posterior views. The complication rate after PSARP was 27.2%, including dehiscence (11.7%), wound infection (7.4%), and stricture (6.9%). Divided stomas were more common than loop colostomies (66.3% versus 28.8%). Postoperative anal dilations were performed by 92.6% of surgeons. Reported complication rates did not differ significantly by region or income category.

conclusionThis global survey demonstrates wide regional and income-based variability in ARM perioperative care, spanning screening, operative strategy, timing, and postoperative management. Inconsistent sacral and spinal screening, especially in low-resource settings, highlights needs for standardized pathways and context-aware quality improvement efforts worldwide.

Indexed as

Anorectal MalformationsPractice Patterns, Physicians'Colorectal Surgical ProceduresFemaleGlobal HealthHumansInfant, NewbornPostoperative ComplicationsRetrospective StudiesSurveys and QuestionnairesAnorectal malformationARMColorectalGlobal surgeryInternationalSurvey

Identifiers

PMID42417975

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.