By Jackson Melin
Photo from University of California, San Francisco Department of Surgery
An anorectal malformation (ARM) is a chronic condition at birth that prevents the rectum and anus from forming properly. The “imperforate” anus is either obstructed or located in the wrong place. The exact cause of the malformation is unknown; however, it affects one in every 5,000 newborns.
This issue is very personal to me, as I myself have been dealing with ARMs for my whole life. It’s taken seven surgeries for my body to adapt to this condition.
Symptoms of anorectal malformation include constipation, bloating, nausea, gas and cramping. This can also lead to other health problems, such as hemorrhoids or rectal bleeding.
Similar conditions are misdiagnosed as ARMs, such as Hirschsprung’s disease or Crohn’s. While these have some of the same symptoms, they have their differences.
Support groups have been created for kids diagnosed with ARMs, the main program being the Pull-Thru Network. The name is a reference to the surgery that connects the healthy intestine to the anus.
A PubMed study was performed on 81 patients in 2025, and the results were as follows: “Adults with congenital colorectal and pelvic malformations demonstrate a high burden of psychiatric disorders and substance use.”
Please visit pullthrunetwork.org to learn more about ARMs and its support groups.