Eleven patients with idiopathic faecal incontinence (IFI) and nine normal controls were studied with techniques of mucosal electrosensitivity and rectal distention for the quantitative assessment of anal and rectal sensation and with manometric and electromyographic tests for the assessment of anorectal motor function. The tests of motor function showed pelvic floor motor neuropathy in the pati...

An electrical stimulator has been devised to treat neurogenic faecal incontinence caused by pudendal nerve neuropathy and works on the basis of repeated stimulation of the pudendo-anal reflex arc. Although conduction in the pudendo-anal reflex arc may be prolonged, and is so in neurogenic faecal incontinence, it must be shown to be present before the method can be used. This stimulation results...

INTRODUCTION Rectal function following rectal resection for carcinoma was studied in 43 patients. METHODS Sixteen women and 27 men with a median age of 66 years (range 41-79 years) were included. Twenty-three patients had a diverting ileostomy at the time of resection. Eight patients had a 6-cm colonic J-pouch. Ten patients had anastomotic leakage including two patients without diverting ileo...

1. Corby H, Donnelly VS, O’Herlihy C, O’Connell PR. Anal canal pressures are low in women with postpartum anal fissure. Br J Surg 1997;84:86-8. 2. Frudinger A, Halligan S, Bartram CI, Price AB, Kamm MA, Winter R. Female anal sphincter: age-related differences in asymptomatic volunteers with high-frequency endoanal US. Radiology 2002;224:417-23. 3. Farouk R. Sphincter-preserving therapy for trea...

AIM We assessed pubovisceral muscle (PVM) defects, levator hiatal dimensions and anal sphincter defects using three-dimensional (3D) endovaginal and anorectal ultrasonography in women with previous vaginal delivery and faecal incontinence to determine the relationship between anatomic/functional findings and severity of faecal incontinence symptoms. METHOD This was a prospective, observationa...

OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of evidence of residual obstetric anal sphincter injury, to evaluate its association with anal incontinence (AI) and to establish minimal diagnostic criteria for significant (residual) external anal sphincter (EAS) trauma. METHODS This was a retrospective analysis of ultrasound volume datasets of 501 patients attending a tertiary urogynecological unit. A...

OBJECTIVES To review our experience with patients treated for anal fistula secondary to cryptoglandular disease and to determine factors that influence postoperative outcome. DESIGN Retrospective review. SETTING A regional tertiary referral center. PATIENTS Adult patients with anal fistula secondary to cryptoglandular disease. INTERVENTIONS Fistulotomy, advancement flap, and fistula plu...

BACKGROUND Fecal incontinence and constipation are common gastrointestinal complaints, but rarely occur concurrently. Management of these seemingly paradoxical processes is challenging, as treatment of one symptom may exacerbate the other. CASE REPORT A 51-year-old female with lifelong neurogenic bladder secondary to spina bifida occulta presented with progressive symptoms of daily urge fecal i...

PURPOSE We evaluated biofeedback training for incontinence due to detrusor overactivity in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS Included in our study were 22 boys and 17 girls with a mean age of 11.2 years. We noted nighttime incontinence in 3 patients, nighttime incontinence and daytime urinary symptoms in 26, and daytime incontinence in 10. All patients had detrusor overactivity and incontinence...

BACKGROUND A psychometrically robust patient-completed questionnaire for anal incontinence, which reflects issues of importance to both clinicians and patients, was lacking for assessment purposes. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of a new questionnaire developed to address this need, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Bowels module...