Treatments

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Treatment

For some patients, behavioral therapy, which includes maintaining a strict schedule of voiding and monitoring food and fluid intake, can reduce the occurrence of incontinence. Many patients use absorbent products such as pads, liners, undergarments and adult diapers to manage their problem.

For people who want to restore continence rather than simply manage it, treatment options range from noninvasive to more invasive. They vary in effectiveness, depending on the cause and the severity of the incontinence.

Depending on age, medical condition and personal preference, one or more of the following treatments could be recommended. You and your doctor can work together to find the best way to cope with your lack of bowel control. It is important that you understand all the options available to you, and that you share your thoughts and any concerns with your doctor.

Symptom Management Options
Symptom management is not a treatment; it is a way of living with your fecal incontinence.

Change in Diet—Fecal incontinence often occurs as a result of a decreased ability of the anal sphincter to handle large amounts of liquid stool. You may be asked to avoid gas-producing foods, to reduce intake of fluids, fat and fiber and to increase the intake of "constipating" foods such as bananas or rice.
Absorbent Products—Absorbent pads, diapers and protective undergarments can help you manage bowel control problems. They come in a variety of sizes and are readily available in pharmacies and grocery stores.

Treatment Options
The options discussed above are for managing the symptoms of fecal incontinence. Treatment options are intended to provide a permanent solution. With effective treatment, most women can resume active lifestyles with dignity.

Muscle Exercises with Biofeedback—Some forms of incontinence can be helped through exercises that strengthen and tone the pelvic floor muscles. With biofeedback, electronic or mechanical instruments measure the strength of your pelvic contractions and give you immediate feedback on the progress of your pelvic floor muscle strengthening exercises.
Medication—Mild incontinence can be managed with medication. Medicine used for diarrhea makes the stool harder and increases the tone of the rectal muscle. Other medications that may be used include those that decrease intestinal secretions and bowel motility, those that increase intestinal tone and those that slow the movement of stool through the bowel. Medications that reduce the water content in the stools or protect the intestinal lining from irritation also can be used to manage fecal incontinence.
Surgical Procedures—Surgery may be performed to correct certain anatomical abnormalities. These include:
- Sphincteroplasty—The most commonly performed surgical repair of the sphincter. It attempts to repair damage to the anal sphincter muscles.
- Colostomy—The surgical creation of an opening on the surface of the body to treat incontinence. A colostomy does not control the flow of stool, but provides a means for waste to flow into a collection bag.
- Muscle Transposition Procedure—Uses the muscle from the thigh or buttocks to wrap around the anal canal and act like a sphincter.
- Gracilis Stimulator Implant—Combines the muscle transposition procedure and the implant of an electrode muscle stimulation device.
- AMS Acticon® Neosphincter—This procedure is an alternative treatment for patients who have not responded to more conservative therapies . The AMS artificial sphincter, Acticon®, simulates the function of the anal sphincter muscle making bowel control possible.