What Is Fecal Incontinence That Urologist Need to Know?

Abstract

Fecal incontinence (FI) undoubtedly reduces quality of life and adversely affects the social life of the affected individual. FI has a higher prevalence with age and has an equivalent prevalence to urinary incontinence in patients with genitourinary disease, but is often not confirmed in these cases. A thorough investigation is needed to diagnose FI, with the common etiology of this condition in mind, and several questionnaires can be used to identify symptoms. The physical examination contains digital rectal examination carries out to identify the patient’s condition. Ultrasound, colonoscopy, and rectum pressure test can be performed. Patients educated in diet-related issues, bowel movements, and defecation mechanism. Nonoperative options such as diet control and Kegel exercise should be performed at first. Surgical treatment of FI is considered when conservative management and oral medications produce no improvement. Surgical options include less invasive procedures like bulking agent injections, and more involved approaches from sacral nerve stimulation to invasive direct sphincter repair and artificial bowel sphincter insertion. Good outcomes in FI cases have also recently been reported for barrier devices.

Pelvic floor muscle exercise and training for coping with urinary incontinence

“…The levator plate is made by the fusion of the levator ani muscles and the sustained resting tone of the pelvic floor muscles supports pelvic organ, resists increase in abdominal pressure, and is essen-tial in control of urinary and fecal continence (Kim et al, 2021). With loss of tone from pelvic floor muscles or nerve injury, there is relaxation in the urogenital hiatus, which diminishes the horizontal orientation of the levator plate.…”

Novel Nonablative Radiofrequency Approach for the Treatment of Anal Incontinence: A Phase 1 Clinical Trial

“…Between them, there is surgery, indicated in severe cases, and pharmacological and physiotherapeutic treatment, indicated in moderate and slight cases [10]. The physiopathology of AI is multifactorial, and it is known to be the relation of risk of perianal muscle damage [11]. Thus, one treatment option for controlling the loss of stool is based on pelvic floor rehabilitation, which consists of exercises to improve the tone and strength of the pelvic floor muscles [12].…”