Complications Following Surgery for Benign Anorectal Lesions

In spite of the fact that a certain degree of standardization of the surgical treatment of benign anorectal disease has evolved during the past decade, postoperative complications still occur too frequently. These are not due to neglect of the underlying technical principles of this type of surgery but rather to a disregard of the refinements in technique and attention to details in the surgical procedure and during the postoperative period. Although there may be minor variations in methods in various surgical centers, we do not believe that these are a significant factor in the incidence of postoperative complications. It is our opinion that adherence to the basic principles concerning the anatomy and physiology of the anorectal region will minimize or eliminate the high incidence of complications that unfortunately still occur. Other writers have reflected this opinion also, and, while it is undoubtedly true, it has tended to draw attention away