Faecal Incontinence: Management Strategies

Faecal incontinence is the failure to manage defecation; in other words one may lose control over passage of faeces or gas and make it to leak suddenly. Whatever the cause, faecal incontinence can be unpleasant. Do not avoid speaking to your physician regarding this issue. Therapies can improve faecal incontinence as well improve ones lifestyle.

Causes of Faecal Incontinence

1. Giving birth
2. Injury to the rings of muscular tissue at the end of the anus (rectal sphincter) might make it challenging to hold stool back successfully. This kind of damages can happen throughout giving birth, especially if you have an episiotomy or forceps are utilized throughout delivery.
3. Road traffic Mishap or accident
4. Industrial Trauma
5. Fracture of the Pelvis
6. Diabetic issues mellitus
7. Multiple sclerosis
8. Chronic Constipation
9. Persistent Diarrhoea
10. Anorectal Surgical treatment
11. Radiation treatment
12. Inflammatory bowel disease
13. Haemorrhoid or piles Surgery
14. Fistula-in-ano Surgery
15. Surgery for Fissure 
16. Rectocoele

Sequele

Psychological distress. The loss of dignity related to loosing control over one’s bodily functions can bring about embarrassment, dissatisfaction and likewise depression. It’s usual for individuals with faecal incontinence to try to hide the difficulty or to stay away from social communications and engagements. Marital problems too emerge in this situation.

Skin irritation. The skin around the anus is delicate as well as also fragile. Repeated contact with stool can cause pain and irritability, in addition to potential occurrence of sores (ulcers) that call for medical treatment.

Also See Fecal Incontinence Surgeon In Chandigarh

Investigations:

A number of tests are available to assist establish the type and cause of faecal incontinence:

– Digital exam in the opd

– Balloon expulsion exam

– Rectal manometry

– Anorectal ultrasonography

– Proctography

– Colonoscopy

– Magnetic vibration imaging (MRI).

Management of Faecal Incontinence

1. Drugs and medications.

Depending upon the reason for faecal incontinence, choices include. Anti-diarrheal medicines or Mass laxatives.

2. Special Exercises:.

If muscle damage is creating  faecal system incontinence, your medical professional might recommend a program of workout in addition to other therapies to recover muscular tissue function. These therapies can increase anal sphincter control in addition to the understanding of requirement to excrete. These may include:

• Kegel exercises.
• Biofeedback Exercises
• Digestive tract re-training
• Bulking agents

3. Implanting a device that sends out little electrical impulses continually to the nerves which can improve power in the sphincter muscles.

4. Surgery for Faecal Incontinence

Surgical treatment stays the pillar of therapy where there is damages to the controlling muscular tissues, which are called anal sphincter complex. 

Surgeons recognize a damaged area of muscle mass along the defect and then proceed to free its sides from the surrounding tissues. They afterwards bring the muscle edges back with each other to fill the gap and make the ring intact again; and also sew them in an overlapping style, boosting the muscle as well as also tightening the sphincter.

Colostomy (colon diversion). This medical treatment diverts faeces via an opening created on the abdominal wall.  A special bag is connected to this opening to gather the faeces. Colostomy is commonly taken into account only after various other treatments have not been successful.

5. Nutritional modifications.

You may be able to acquire far better control of your defecation by doing some alterations to the diet regimen. The dietician helps to determine these changes.

Conclusion

Surgical treatment done by experienced colorectal surgeon offers the best outcomes, where sphincter muscle is repaired. First surgery properly done gives the best result, if the nerves are intact. The improvement in the control after surgery ranges from 10 percent to 90 percent depending on many factors. Even 10% improvement can cause a lot of benefit to the patients.

Other adjuncts too help in specific cases. One need to not shy away from speaking with a specialist as leading a life with faecal incontinence causes numerous problems including marriage, personal, psychological as well as lifestyle related.