RECTAL
TRAUMA
Rectal
trauma is a relatively uncommon problem that usual results
from impalement (such as on a spike or pole) or as a result
of sexual-social injuries (such as fist fornication "fisting"
or insertion of foreign bodies.) Whatever the cause,
severe and permanent damage to the muscles and nerve fibers
may occur as a result of the trauma. Serious infection
due to contamination of the blood and surrounding tissue
with stool is also a relatively common complication and
often leads to excessive scar formation which can make "normal"
bowel movements and defication difficult if not impossible.
The
photograph to your left shows the perineal area of a girl
who suffered severe trauma after getting impaled on a bedpost
while jumping in bed. This damage required hours of
surgical correction in the operating room (where this photo
was taken).
Foreign
bodies inserted into the rectum to enhance sexual stimulation
are also a common cause of trauma and rectal injuries.
The x-ray to your right shows an object that got stuck in
the rectum of a man. Can you identify the object?
Can you guess what happened that brought him to the emergency
room? Click
here for the answer.
The
most common objects requiring extraction include lightbulbs,
pens & pencils, candles, vibrators, and bottles. Unfortunately,
removal of foreign bodies is usually much more difficult
- and much less enjoyable - than their insertion, since
many objects do not remain in their original form.
