{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]],"date-time":"2026-07-02T01:44:11Z","timestamp":1782956651614,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":null,"content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,4]]},"abstract":"\n Introduction:<\/jats:title>\n Anal dilation with Hegar dilator is recommended as part of the post-operative management following surgical correction of anorectal malformation (ARM) in children to prevent strictures. Parents usually continue dilation at home with a personal set of dilators. However, in low-resource settings, many parents cannot afford the Hegar dilator. Devices that have been improvised as dilators include appropriately sized candles, spigot from Foley catheter, rounded ball pen ends and mothers\u2019 fingers. We aimed to report our preliminary experience with the use of candle as an improvised anal dilator following surgeries for ARM in our practice.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Materials and Methods:<\/jats:title>\n A review of records of children who had surgery for ARMs and commenced on candle dilation between February 2018 and July 2019 at our centre was done. Relevant demographic information, type of anomaly, duration of dilation, availability of health insurance coverage, complications and parents\u2019 acceptance of improvised dilator (evaluated during scheduled follow up visits) were retrieved. The data were analysed using SPPSS version 21 (Chicago, Illinois).<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results:<\/jats:title>\n Nineteen patients underwent anal dilation with improvised candles during the period. Rectobulbar and rectovestibular fistulas were most frequent anomaly in boys and girls, respectively. The median age at surgery was 6 months. The median duration of dilation (completed in 9 patients) was 7 months. Candle dilation was well tolerated, and all parents were comfortable using the device.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n The candle as an improvised anal dilator following anorectal surgeries in children is a useful alternative to the conventional dilator. It is more affordable and gives satisfactory results.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/ajps.ajps_170_21","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,4]],"date-time":"2023-01-04T08:04:31Z","timestamp":1672819471000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Candle as an Improvised Anal Dilator Following Surgery for Anorectal Malformation"],"prefix":"10.67481","author":[{"given":"Adewale Olaotan","family":"Oyinloye","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samuel","family":"Wabada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Auwal Mohammed","family":"Abubakar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christopher Uruku","family":"Rikin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":null,"reference":[{"key":"key-10.4103\/0189-6725.367106-1","unstructured":"Pena A. Post op care, complications and results. In: Atlas of Surgical Management of Anorectal Malformations. Ch. 7. New York: Springer; 1990. p. 92."},{"key":"key-10.4103\/0189-6725.367106-2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pe\u00f1a A, Bischoff A. General principles for the postoperative management of patients with anorectal malformations. In: Surgical Treatment of Colorectal Problems in Children. Cham: Springer; 2015. p. 299-306.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-14989-9_18"},{"key":"key-10.4103\/0189-6725.367106-3","unstructured":"Levitt MA, Pe\u00f1a A. Operative management of anomalies in male. In: Holschneider AM, Hutson J, editors. Anorectal Malformations in Children. 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Available from: https:\/\/nigerianstat.gov.ng\/download\/1092. [Last accessed on 2020 Sep 19]."},{"key":"key-10.4103\/0189-6725.367106-11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.4103\/0971-9261.25930","article-title":"Early results of posterior saggital anorectoplasty in the treatment of anorectal malformation in Nigerian children","author":"Sowande","year":"2006","journal-title":"J Indian Assoc Pediatr Surg","ISSN":"https:\/\/id.crossref.org\/issn\/0971-9261","issn-type":"print"},{"key":"key-10.4103\/0189-6725.367106-12","unstructured":"Michigan Medicine. Analdilation Post Operative Instruction (Children) [pdf]. Michigan Medicine; c1995-2022. Available from: https:\/\/www.mottchildren.org\/conditions-treatments\/pediatric-colorectal-\/patient-resources. [Last accessed on 2022 Apr 11]."},{"key":"key-10.4103\/0189-6725.367106-13","unstructured":"St. Louis Children's Hospital. Anal Dilation-Home Management [pdf]; c2022. 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[Last accessed on 2022 Apr 11]."},{"key":"key-10.4103\/0189-6725.367106-14","first-page":"169","article-title":"\u201cHome-made\u201d anal dilators","author":"Sanni","year":"2002","journal-title":"Pediatr Endosurg Innov Techn"}],"container-title":["African Journal of Paediatric Surgery"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/10.4103\/ajps.ajps_170_21","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]],"date-time":"2026-07-02T00:49:24Z","timestamp":1782953364000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.lww.com\/10.4103\/ajps.ajps_170_21"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,4]]},"references-count":14,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/ajps.ajps_170_21","relation":{},"ISSN":["0189-6725"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0189-6725","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,4]]}}}