Association of delivery mode and number of pregnancies with anorectal manometry data in patients with postpartum constipation

Abstract Objective To explore the association of delivery mode and the number of pregnancies with anorectal manometry data in patients with postpartum constipation. Methods This retrospective study included women with postpartum constipation treated at the pelvic floor rehabilitation department of Huzhou Maternity & Child Health Care Hospital between January 2018 and December 2019. Results Among 127 patients included, 55 (43.3%) had one pregnancy, 72 (56.7%) had two pregnancies, 96 (75.6%) delivered spontaneously, 25 (16.7%) underwent Cesarean section, and six (4.7%) needed a Cesarean section despite spontaneous labor. The median duration of constipation was 12 months (range, 6–12). There were no differences between the two groups for any manometry parameters (all P > 0.05). The patients with a spontaneous delivery had a lower change in maximal contracting sphincter pressure compared with those with Cesarean section (14.3 (4.5–25.0) vs. 19.6 (13.4–40.0), P = 0.023). Only the delivery mode (Cesarean vs. spontaneous) independently affected the changes in contracting sphincter pressure (B = 10.32, 95%CI: 2.95–17.69, P = 0.006); age (P = 0.201), number of pregnancies (P = 0.190), and constipation duration (P = 0.161) were not associated. Conclusion The patients with a spontaneous delivery had a lower change in maximal contracting sphincter pressure compared with those with a Cesarean section, suggesting that patients with Cesarean may retain a better “push” function during defecation.