Transanal Irrigation for the Management of Functional Bowel Disorders: An Observational Study

Abstract

Aim:The aim of the PERSPECTIVE * study was to examine the burden of a wide range of functional bowel disorders (FBDs) on quality of life, work productivity and healthcare utilisation and to explore patients' perceptions of using transanal irrigation (TAI) to manage these conditions. This paper reports the findings related to TAI. Method: This large observational study utilised two existing cohorts of people -the ContactME-IBS database and an in-service transanal irrigation database. 4794 people were invited to participate in a single online questionnaire. Results: 183 (20%) respondents reported experience of TAI. 110 (60%) of these continue to irrigate. Many patients were still irrigating after 5 years, with variable frequency, suggesting they choose a regime to suit their illness and lifestyle. Effectiveness of TAI at 3 months was shown to correlate positively with effectiveness at 6 months, with a trend for this effectiveness to continue up to 12 months and beyond, supporting the notion that it remains effective in the longer term. Three quarters of patients treated with TAI for diarrhoea were still irrigating. Conclusion: PERSPECTIVE has demonstrated a treatment success rate of 60% with benefits continuing long term. TAI was shown to benefit patients with diarrhoea and mixed or alternating bowel symptoms. To date, there has been little assessment of the use of TAI for these symptoms which may merit future research.