Forty patients with fecal incontinence underwent sphincter repair between 1975 and 1984. Divided sphincter musculature resulted from obstetrical injury in 23 and previous anorectal surgery in 17. Eighteen had undergone a previous attempt at repair. Fifteen patients experienced seepage of stool and 25 had gross incontinence. In nine patients, reconstruction of the external sphincter was by overlap of the muscle ends. Twenty-four others underwent accurate approximation of the external sphincter muscle and anterior plication of the levator muscles, and in seven the anal canal was made smaller by narrowing the anal orifice. Follow-up was an average of 67 months after operation (range, 2.4 to 166 months). Continence was objectively improved in 62 percent (P less than .01) when performance criteria were analyzed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test, although 85 percent of the patients reported subjective improvement. Requirements for protective pads were reduced in 57 percent (P less than .01) and fewer social limitations were experienced in 52 percent (P less than .01). There was no significant correlation between outcome and type of operation.