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Assessment of Fecal Incontinence and Constipation in the Female Patient Mahmoud Barrie, MD Assistant Professor Department of Gastroenterology/Hepatology Atlanta VAMC/EUH Atlanta, GA December 9, 2008 For technical assistance please contact Tech Support at or at

Outline Anatomy- Anorectum Mechanism of continence Fecal incontinence –Epidemiology, etiology, clinical presentation –Diagnostic studies –Assessment Algorithm Mechanism of defecation Constipation –Epidemiology, etiology, clinical presentation –Diagnostic studies –Assessment Algorithm Summary If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Objectives Anatomy- Anorectum Mechanism of continence Fecal incontinence –Epidemiology, etiology, clinical presentation –Pertinent radiographic and non-radiographic testing Mechanism of defecation Constipation –Epidemiology, etiology, clinical presentation –Pertinent radiographic and non-radiographic testing Summary If you have any technical issues, please contact or

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Epithelial nerve endings of the rectum and anus If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Anorectal function Continence Defecation If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Continence mechanisms Anorectal angle Rectal accomodation/compliance Rectal sensation Anal sensory nerves Internal anal sphincter External anal sphincter If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Continence Mechanisms: Anorectal Angle If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Continence Mechanisms: Rectal Accommodation If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Continence Mechanisms: Compliance Ratio of pressure to volume at different volumes of distention Decreased compliance with –Inflammation –Fibrosis –Surgical replacement with sigmoid colon If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Continence Mechanisms: Rectal Compliance If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Continence Mechanisms: IAS & EAS

Fecal Incontinence Continuous or recurrent passage of fecal material (>10ml) for at least one month in a person older than 3/4 years of age If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Epidemiology A US study of outpatients found an overall prevalence of 18·4% Incontinence occurred daily in 2·7% of patients, weekly in 4·5%, and monthly or less in 7·1% Symptomatic fecal incontinence occurs in 21% of women presenting with urinary incontinence, pelvic-organ prolapse, or both If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Causes of Fecal Incontinence If you have any technical issues, please contact or

A greater proportion of cases of faecal incontinence are acquired Sphincter disruption resulting from vaginal delivery= most common sphincter injury Sphincter atrophy due to advanced age If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Vaginal delivery injury risks Forceps delivery Primiparous: giving birth to a baby weighing over 4 kg- Traction injury to the pudendal nerve third-degree obstetric lacerations Incidence of both flatus and stool : –6-25% in new postpartum –3-27% in known sphincter tears If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Assessment Essential elements of the history: –Onset –Type of incontinence (flatus, liquid, or solid stool) –Frequency of episodes Pertinent findings in the physical exam include: –A thinned or deformed perianal body and scars from previous surgery or trauma. –Breakdown of the perianal skin is a consequence, not a cause of incontinence –Gaping of the anus suggests rectal prolapse, which can usually be demonstrated with Valsalva’s manoeuvre. –Diminished perianal sensation and the absence of an anal wink suggest a neurogenic cause –Digital exam- weak sphincter squeeze If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Diagnostic Studies Function –Anorectal manometry –EMG: Action potentials of sphincter muscle –PNTL –Defecography: anorectal angle, perineal descent Anatomy –Flexible sigmodoscopy/proctosocpy –Defecography: rectoceles –Anal sonography: Sphincter defect –Barium enema –MRI If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Function: Anorectal manometry in fecal incontinence If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Function: EMG Electromyography — Electromyography of the external anal sphincter and pelvic floor muscles is performed for three purposes: To identify areas of sphincter injury by mapping the sphincter. To determine whether the muscle contracts or relaxes (by the number of motor units firing). To identify denervation-reinnervation potentials indicative of nerve injury. If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Function: EAS EMG If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Function: EAS EMG Nerve sprouting Variations of intervals b/w motor unit potentials If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Function: Pudendal n. Latency If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Child Birth Neurologic evidence –PNTL prolongation  42% of postpartum women (Snooks et al )  cesarean delivery performed in late labor (cervical dilation 8 cm or greater) –EMG of the anal sphincter: increased fiber density in multiparous women (Allen RE et al.) If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Anatomy: Defecography Evacuation proctography: process, rate and completeness Assessing ano-rectal angle Structural and functional alterations: rectocele, internal rectal intussusception, external rectal prolapse, enterocele and pelvic floor dysfunction, or dyssynergia. If you have any technical issues, please contact or

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Anatomy: Rectal Ultrasound If you have any technical issues, please contact or

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Anatomy: Endoanal Coil MRI Sphincter atrophy –89% sensitivity –94% specificity –89% positive predictive value –94% negative predictive value Defect(atrophy) in levator ani m. May not be as good in detecting sphincter tear. If you have any technical issues, please contact or

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Anatomic evidence Endoanal MRI: –20% of primiparous women: defect in the levator ani muscle (Delancey et al ) Endoanal ultrasound for sphincter disruption (Abramowitz L et al) –35% of primiparous – 44% of multiparous If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Summary of diagnostic studies Anorectal manometry: Good EMG/PNTML : –good but limited to specialized centers Defecography : –Not as good Anal endosonography –good Endoanal Coil MRI : –New and promising If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Constipation Straining ≥1/4 of defecation; Lumpy or hard stools ≥1/4 of defecation; Sensation of incomplete defecation ≥1/4 of defecation; Sensation of anorectal obstruction/blockage≥1/4 of defecation; Manual maneuvers to facilitate ≥1/4 of defecation (example: digital evacuation, support of the pelvic floor); Less than three defecations per week. If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Defecation

Epidemiology Prevalence 2-34% F:M 3 to 5x Increase >65yo If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Types of constipation Normal transit and normal pelvic floor function Slow transit (colonic inertia) Dyssynergic or obstructive defecation or anismus Structural abnormalities: Enteroceles and Rectoceles If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Assessment of Constipation H&P –digital dysimpaction, pelvic and/back pain, bleeding, urinary incontinence, renal insufficiency Colonic scintigraphy Anorectal manometry/Balloon expulsion Surface EMG Evacuation proctography If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Colonic transit If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Balloon Expulsion If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Rectal pressure & EMG in PFD If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Defecography Evacuation proctography involves imaging of the rectum with contrast material and observation of the process, rate, and completeness of rectal evacuation using fluoroscopic techniques. Structural and functional alterations can also be observed and include rectocele, internal rectal intussusception, external rectal prolapse, enterocele and pelvic floor dysfunction, or dyssynergia. If you have any technical issues, please contact or

History and exam History –Digital pressure in the vagina Exam –Bulging of the posterior vaginal wall may be an enterocele or a rectocele. If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Symptoms/Signs Intractable vaginal mucosal ulcerations Urinary retention (renal failure) A pulling sensation or lower back pain –Worse w/prolong standing –Improves w/laying down If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Rectocele If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Enterocele If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Summary Fecal incontinence –H&P very important –Anal endosonography –Anorectal manometry –EMG –Defecography? (controversal) –Colonic transit (-) –Dynamic MRI w/endoanal coil Constipation –H&P very important –Colonic transit study –Anorectal manometry –Defecography: r/o PFD/enteroceles/rectoceles –EMG(+/-) to r/o PFD Enteroceles/Rectoceles –Beware of surgical treatment except for recurrent vaginal mucosal ulceration or ovarian tension If you have any technical issues, please contact or

Q & A Session

Evaluation Please complete the survey that will be provided to you in you in the web browser. Click on the link below: 5FCIA_3d_3d If you are unable to view the survey there will be a separate sent to all who registered for the event providing the survey.

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8 Porell F, Caro FG, Silva A, Monane M. A longitudinal analysis of nursing home outcomes. Health Serv Res 1998; 33: 835–65. 9 Chassagne P, Landrin I, Neveu C, et al. Fecal incontinence in the institutionalized elderly: incidence, risk factors, and prognosis. Am J Med 1999; 106: 185– Borrie MJ, Davidson HA. Incontinence in institutions: costs and contributing factors. CMAJ 1992; 147: 322– Nakanishi N, Tatara K, Shinsho F, et al. Mortality in relation to urinary and faecal incontinence in elderly people living at home. Age Ageing 1999; 28: 301– Rizk DE, Hassan MY, Shaheen H, Cherian JV, Micallef R, Dunn E. The prevalence and determinants of health care-seeking behavior for fecal incontinence in multiparous United Arab Emirates females. Dis Colon Rectum 2001; 44: 1850– Jorge JM. Anorectal anatomy and physiology. In: Wexner SD, ed. Fundamentals of anorectal surgery, 2nd edn. Philadelphia: W B Saunders, 1998: 1–24. If you have any technical issues, please contact or

14. Abramowitz L, Sobhani I, Ganansia R, et al.Are sphincter defects the cause of anal incontinence after vaginal delivery? Results of a prospective study. Dis Colon Rectum.2000;43:590–596; discussion 596– Allen RE, Hosker GL, Smith AR, et al. Pelvic floor damage and childbirth: a neurophysiological study. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1990;97:770– Delancey JOL, Kearney R, Chou Q, et al. The appearance of levator ani muscle abnormalities in magnetic resonance images after vaginal delivery. Obstet Gynecol. 2003;101: 46–53. If you have any technical issues, please contact or