Abstract
Rectal prolapse is a condition that has puzzled surgeons for many centuries. Ancient documents, including the Old Testament, give accurate descriptions of the condition. Surgical treatments for rectal prolapse emerged at the end of the nineteenth century, some of which have stood the test of time, although most remain historical curiosities. There is a voluminous literature on rectal prolapse, a PubMed search will identify nearly 3,000 articles focused on rectal prolapse. However, there is little level 1 evidence, with few properly powered randomized trials to provide a scientific evidence base to guide treatment [1]. This chapter on rectal prolapse gives an overview of current thinking on this condition while accepting that many questions remain unanswered.
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Williams, J.G. (2012). Rectal Prolapse. In: Brown, S., Hartley, J., Hill, J., Scott, N., Williams, J. (eds) Contemporary Coloproctology. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-889-8_29
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