20.500.12556/DiRROS-24494 Episiotomy and innervation zones of the external anal Sphincter a case series investigating the impact on neurological patterns Objective: To investigate the impact of mediolateral episiotomy on the innervation zones of the External Anal Sphincter (EAS) in the absence and presence of direct muscular injury. Methods: This case series examined four primiparous women, including three who underwent vaginal deliveries with mediolateral episiotomy and one cesarean section case for reference. Pre- and post-delivery assessments utilized surface electromyography (sEMG) and endoanal ultrasound to evaluate changes in the EAS’s innervation zones and obstetrical EAS injuries, alongside the Wexner score for fecal incontinence. Results: Mediolateral episiotomy can alter the innervation pattern of the EAS, with a significant reduction in innervation zones observed in the episiotomy cases compared to the reference cesarean section case. This alteration was evident even in the absence of visible EAS injury, suggesting episiotomy’s potential to disrupt EAS functionality. Notably, the Wexner score indicated varying degrees of fecal incontinence among the episiotomy cases. Conclusion: Mediolateral episiotomy may impact the EAS’s innervation pattern, highlighting the importance of considering individual innervation zones in episiotomy planning. While the integration of sEMG into routine clinical practice is still evolving, this study underscores its potential as an additional tool for assessing neural integrity, particularly in cases of anal sphincter injury and reconstruction. Future research should explore the dynamics of re-innervation and the correlation between vascular injury and reduced innervation zones to enhance patient-specific care in pelvic floor dysfunction episiotomy external anal Sphincter innervation zones surface electromyography fecal incontinence true false true Angleški jezik Ni določen Neznano 2025-12-02 13:41:13 2025-12-02 13:41:13 2025-12-03 03:42:20 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 Nasl. z nasl. zaslona; Opis vira z dne 31. 3. 2025; 8 str. [article no.] 102970 Vol. 80 2025 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno apc 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 61 1873-5711 10.1016/j.jelekin.2024.102910 230908419 RAZ_Drusany_Staric_Kristina_2025.pdf RAZ_Drusany_Staric_Kristina_2025.pdf 1 DC7E3ACCBF616C4AEA8FD31125F8C290 f5b496dd0f9e1850528ecb76c29d53b3140b72458adf9a894d953eeebfde0fad c2917b90-cf7c-11f0-94a7-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=36503 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1050641124001147 0 31eeee80-cf7c-11f0-94a7-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=36502 Univerzitetni klinični center Ljubljana 0 0 0