Defecation Symptoms Research Articles

758 The Hidden Burden of Faecal Incontinence in Active and Quiescent Ulcerative Colitis: An Underestimated Problem?

INTRODUCTION: Despite advances in Ulcerative Colitis (UC) therapies, many patients suffer refractory defecatory symptoms in the absence of active inflammation. For this group, treatment is challenging, with a paucity of research and limited therapeutic options. In this prospective, ongoing study, we aim to determine the prevalence of faecal incontinence (FI) in patients with quiescent UC. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, consecutive patients with UC attending Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) clinics completed a series of validated questionnaires; including an IBD-specific FI questionnaire (ICIQ-IBD questionnaire), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Rome IV diagnostic questionnaire, and the IBD-control questionnaire. Participants were requested to return a Faecal Calprotectin (FCP) within 2 weeks of completing questionnaires. Quiescent UC was defined as IBD-control 8 score ≥13 and IBD-control-VAS ≥85, and/or FCP levels ≤250 (where available, FCP data were used in preference to IBD-control to classify UC activity). Data were compared between active and quiescent groups using chi-square and non-parametric tests. RESULTS: Overall, n = 97 UC patients (n = 50 males, mean age 48 (range 18-82) participated. ICIQ-IBD data revealed that most patients experience FI (84/97 (87%) during 'relapses'. Interestingly, 58/97 (60%) reported FI when in 'remission', and this group had higher median HADS depression (P = 0.0002), poorer QoL scores (P < 0.0001), and trend towards higher HADS anxiety (P = 0.09) scores, compared to those without FI. Disease activity data (IBD-control and/or FCP) were available for all patients, and based on these 61/97 (63%) had quiescent UC. The prevalence of FI based on ICIQ-IBD did not differ between those with active (22/36, 61%) and quiescent UC (36/61, 59%), P = NS. In those with FI on ICIQ-IBD, median IBD-FI symptom scores, IBD-FI QoL scores and HADS (anxiety: P = 0.47, depression: P = 0.18) id not differ between disease activity groups. However, within the quiescent group, patients that met the more stringent Rome IV criteria for FI (n = 13) had higher median IBD-FI symptom scores (P = 0.007) and HADS-depression scores (P = 0.05), a trend to worse IBD-FI QoL (P = 0.07), but similar HADS-anxiety (P = 0.68). CONCLUSION: This is one of the first studies to identify that FI affects most patients with UC, regardless of disease activity, with a detrimental impact on patients' psychological wellbeing and QoL. FI be screened for in IBD clinics. There is an urgent need for further research in this area.

Dynamic fluoroscopic defecography: updates on rationale, technique, and interpretation from the Society of Abdominal Radiology Pelvic Floor Disease Focus Panel.

Whether used as the primary diagnostic test or reserved as a problem-solving examination, fluoroscopic defecography (FD) remains an important tool in the workup and treatment of defecatory disorders. FD is a well-established, simple, and rapid examination that most closely resembles the actual process and position that a patient uses to enable defecation and provides both qualitative and quantitative information on the defecatory process. FD is indicated when re-creating the act of defecation is necessary, especially in patients with symptoms of obstructed defecation and where symptoms do not correlate with prior examinations such as MRI. Also, FD may help the patient understand the severity of their condition, better informing them of the structural and functional pathology, and aid in discussions with the surgeon regarding plans for treating their complex pelvic floor and defecatory problems. This review provides an up-to-date, comprehensive summary of FD and describes the indications for, techniques of, and common pathology encountered.

Surgical interventions for posterior compartment prolapse and obstructed defecation symptoms: a systematic review with clinical practice recommendations.

Several posterior compartment surgical approaches are used to address posterior vaginal wall prolapse and obstructed defecation. We aimed to compare outcomes for both conditions among different surgical approaches. A systematic review was performed comparing the impact of surgical interventions in the posterior compartment on prolapse and defecatory symptoms. MEDLINE, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to 4 April 2018. Randomized controlled trials, prospective and retrospective comparative and single-group studies of women undergoing posterior vaginal compartment surgery for vaginal bulge or bowel symptoms were included. Studies had to include both anatomical and symptom outcomes both pre- and post-surgery. Forty-six eligible studies reported on six surgery types. Prolapse and defecatory symptoms improved with native-tissue transvaginal rectocele repair, transanal rectocele repair, and stapled transanal rectocele repair (STARR) surgeries. Although prolapse was improved with sacrocolpoperineopexy, defecatory symptoms worsened. STARR caused high rates of fecal urgency postoperatively, but this symptom typically resolved with time. Site-specific posterior repairs improved prolapse stage and symptoms of obstructed defecation. Compared with the transanal route, native-tissue transvaginal repair resulted in greater improvement in anatomical outcomes, improved obstructed defecation symptoms, and lower chances of rectal injury, but higher rates of dyspareunia. Surgery in the posterior vaginal compartment typically has a high rate of success for anatomical outcomes, obstructed defecation, and bulge symptoms, although these may not persist over time. Based on this evidence, to improve anatomical and symptomatic outcomes, a native-tissue transvaginal rectocele repair should be preferentially performed.

Short term outcome of laparoscopic ventral mesh rectopexy for rectal and complex pelvic organ prolapse: case series.

Laparoscopic ventral mesh rectopexy (LVMR) is a technique gaining more recognition for the management of pelvic floor disorders, such as external rectal prolapse (ERP), high grade internal rectal prolapse (IRP) and rectocele. LVMR also allows correction of coexisted pelvic organ prolapse. This study aimed to evaluate the safety, efficacy and functional outcome of LVMR for rectal and complex pelvic organ prolapse. All patients who underwent LVMR from February 2014 to October 2017 were included into the study. The patients were evaluated preoperatively and three months postoperatively. Surgical complications and functional results in terms of fecal incontinence (measured with the Wexner Incontinence Score= WIS) and constipation (measured with the Wexner Constipation Score= WCS) were analyzed. Thirty (4 males) patients underwent LVMR. Seventeen (56.6%) patients had complex pelvic organ prolapse according to MRI findings. Median operative time and postoperative stay were 110 minutes and 4 days, respectively. No mesh-related complication and recurrence were observed. Before surgery, 21 (70%) patients had complained about symptoms of obstructed defecation. WCS decreased significantly from median 19 to 6 (p <0.001). Preoperative median WIS of 9 patients was 14 and went down to 6 postoperatively (p= 0.008). WCS significantly improved after LVMR in patients with symptomatic rectocele combined with enterocele or sigmoidocele (p= 0.005), and significant improvement was also observed in patients with symptomatic rectocele combined with gynecologic organ prolapse, preoperative median WCS was 18 and the postoperative value fell to 8 (p= 0.005). LVMR is an effective surgical option for rectal and complex pelvic organ prolapse with short-term follow-up.

The relationship of defecation symptoms and posterior vaginal wall prolapse in women undergoing pelvic organ prolapse surgery

Defecation symptoms are common among women with pelvic organ prolapse. However, the relationship between posterior vaginal wall prolapse and defecation symptoms remains debatable. Even though there is a plausible biomechanical rationale for posterior wall prolapse to cause obstructed defecation, previous studies have drawn contradictory conclusions regarding the association. We aimed to examine the association between posterior vaginal wall prolapse and defecation symptoms by assessing the following: (1) does prevalence of defecation symptoms increase along with posterior wall prolapse severity, (2) is postoperative symptom improvement greater in women who underwent posterior compartment procedures in comparison with those who did not, and (3) is symptom improvement related to the symptom's correlation with the degree of prolapse? We used data from a nationwide longitudinal cohort study with 3515 women undergoing pelvic organ prolapse surgery. We measured the prevalence of 9 defecation symptoms at baseline and at 6 and 24 months after surgery using the short form of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory. Baseline degree of prolapse was categorized in stages as defined by the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification System. The relationship between the degree of posterior wall prolapse and prevalence of bothersome defecation symptoms was studied with logistic regression and adjusted for patient characteristics and severity of anterior wall and apical prolapse. Generalized estimating equations were used to assess the longitudinal change in symptom prevalence in groups of participants with and without repair for posterior vaginal compartment. Correlations between symptom improvement and symptom dependency on the degree of prolapse was assessed by calculating Pearson's correlation coefficient. The stage of posterior wall prolapse (stage 2 vs stage 0) correlated with splinting, straining, incomplete evacuation, fecal incontinence of liquid stool, pain during defecation, fecal urgency, and anorectal prolapse (adjusted odds ratios, 2.7, 2.1, 2.0, 1.5, 2.1, 1.4, and 2.2, respectively; P ≤ .007 for all). Flatal incontinence and fecal incontinence of solid stool were not associated with the severity of posterior vaginal wall prolapse. Obstructed defecation symptoms (splinting, straining, and incomplete evacuation) improved more in women undergoing posterior compartment surgery compared with women undergoing repair for other compartments. The greatest improvement at follow-up was observed for those symptoms that showed strongest association with the degree of prolapse at baseline. Obstructed defecation symptoms are dependent on the posterior wall anatomy. Women presenting with posterior wall prolapse, and these symptoms can expect to improve after surgery. Other defecation symptoms also improve after pelvic organ prolapse surgery, but they are not as specific to posterior wall anatomy as obstructed defecation symptoms.

Ultrasound Indicators of Rectal Support Defect in Women With Obstructive Defecatory Symptoms.

The anatomic and physiologic pathophysiology of obstructive defecatory symptoms is complex and poorly understood. As a consequence, there is no one surgical method that can achieve overall superiority. We aimed to investigate rectal architectural change in women with obstructive defecatory symptoms using three-dimensional pelvic floor ultrasound. This retrospective cohort study included 65 women who were referred to our urogynecology clinic because of varied pelvic floor disorders between January 2013 and January 2014. Patients completed a standardized interview including PFDI-20 questionnaire and received a standard examination and assessment of pelvic floor by three-dimensional endovaginal ultrasound. Women were categorized to case and control based on their answers to questions 7, 8, and 14 on PFDI-20 (Colorectal and Anal Distress Index) questionnaire. In ultrasound images, levator plate descent angle, levator plate-probe distance, and rectal area have been measured and values have been compared among symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Forty-five women with obstructive defecatory symptoms and 20 asymptomatic women entered the study. There was no significant difference in mean (SD) age (56.55 [SD] 13.29 vs 51.8 [15], P = 0.2), mean (SD) body mass index (27.39 [6.7] vs 24.2 [4.08], P = 0.11), and median (range) parity (3 [1-7] vs 2 [1-6], P = 0.15) among categories. There was significant difference in ultrasound measurements, levator plate descent angle, levator plate-probe distance, and rectal area, between women with obstructive defecatory symptoms and asymptomatic women. Women with obstructive defecatory symptoms have wider rectum and descendent levator plate regardless of the stage of prolapse as measured by POPQ or the severity of rectocele.

Descent and hypermobility of the rectum in women with obstructed defecation symptoms.

Obstructed defecation symptoms (ODS) are common in women; however, the key underlying anatomic factors remain poorly understood. We investigated rectal mobility and support defects in women with and without ODS using pelvic floor ultrasound and MR defecography. This prospective case-control study categorized subjects based on questions 7, 8 and 14 on the PFDI-20, which asks about obstructed defecation symptoms. All subjects underwent an interview, examination and pelvic floor ultrasound, and a subset of 16 subjects underwent MR defecography. The cul de sac-to-anorectal junction distance at rest and during maximum strain was measured on ultrasound and MRI images. The 'compression ratio' was calculated by dividing the change in rectovaginal septum length by its rest length to quantify rectal folding and hypermobility during dynamic imaging and to correlate with ODS. Sixty-two women were recruited, 32 cases and 30 controls. There were no statistically significant differences in age, parity, BMI or stage of rectocele between groups. A threshold analysis indicated the risk of ODS was 32 times greater (OR 32.5, 95% CI 4.8-217.1, p = 0.0003) among women with a high compression ratio (≥ 14) compared with those with a low compression ratio (< 14) after controlling for age, BMI, parity, stool type and BM frequency. Female ODS are associated with distinct alterations in rectal mobility and support that can be clearly observed on dynamic ultrasound. The defects in rectal support were quantifiable using a compression ratio metric, and these defects strongly predicted the likelihood of symptoms; interestingly, the presence or degree of rectocele defects played no role. These findings may provide new insight into the anatomic factors underlying female ODS.

Development and validation of Sasang Urination and Defecation Inventory (SUDI) for pathophysiological symptoms of Sasang typology

BackgroundThe pathophysiological symptom of Sasang typology is essential for getting clinical diagnosis and analyzing treatment effects. The clinical index for examining urination and defecation related symptoms were developed and validated with established clinical measures. MethodsQuestionnaire items of six subscales of Sasang Urination and Defecation Inventory (SUDI) were developed based on previous systematic reviews, and its clinical validity was examined with clinical measures of Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6), Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OBSS), and ROME 3 criteria for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (ROME3-IBS) and Functional Constipation (ROME3-FC) using 48 healthy participants. The internal consistency of six subscales of SUDI were examined with Cronbach alpha. The Pearson correlation was used to examine correlation between SUDI and Western clinical measures, and the ANOVA was adopted to investigate differences among Sasang type groups in clinical measures. ResultsThe SUDI-UCHR (problematic characteristics of urine) and SUDI-ANMD (defecation anomaly discomfort) were found to represent unique concept of traditional Korean medicine, however SUDI-IRRB (irritability of bowel movement) and SUDI-FCON (functional constipation) were similar with functional gastrointestinal disease of western medicine. SUDI-URET (ability to retain urine), SUDI-UDIS (urinary discomfort) and SUDI-ANMD of So-Yang type (7.95±2.16, 14.33±2.01, and 13.10±2.57) are significantly different from those of So-Eum type (9.94±2.54, 12.18±2.96, and 10.59±3.47, respectively). ConclusionThe pathophysiological symptoms of urination and defecation in Sasang typology were systematically scrutinized, and summarized into six subscales of SUDI in this study. The SUDI would be useful for analyzing clinical symptoms of Sasang typology along with integrative collaboration of traditional Korean and Western medicine.

Does Rectocele on Defecography Equate to Rectocele on Physical Examination in Patients With Defecatory Symptoms?

Our primary objective was to determine the association between rectocele size on defecography and physical examination in symptomatic patients. Our secondary objective was to describe the associations between both defecography and physical examination findings with defecatory symptoms and progression to surgical repair of rectocele. We performed a retrospective review of all patients referred to a female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery clinic with a diagnosis of rectocele based on defecography and/or physical examination at a single institution from 2003 to 2017. Patients who did not have defecatory symptoms, did not undergo defecography imaging, or did not have a physical examination in a female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery clinic within 12 months of defecography imaging were excluded. Of 200 patients, 181 (90.5%) had a rectocele diagnosed on defecography and 170 (85%) had a rectocele diagnosed on physical examination. Pearson and Spearman tests of correlation both showed a positive relationship between the rectocele size on defecography and rectocele stage on physical examination; however, one was not reliable to predict the results of the other (Pearson correlation = 0.25; Spearman ρ = 0.29). The strongest predictor of surgery was rectocele stage on physical examination (P < 0.001). Size of rectocele on defecography was not a strong independent predictor for surgery (P = 0.01), although its significance improved with the addition of splinting (P = 0.004). Our results suggest that rectocele on defecography does not necessarily equate to rectocele on physical examination in patients with defecatory symptoms. Rectocele on physical examination was more predictive for surgery than rectocele on defecography.

MP02-14 DE NOVO DEFECATORY SYMPTOMS AND POSTERIOR COMPARTMENT PROLAPSE AS A COMPLICATION OF SACROCOLPOPEXY

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES:The association between pelvic organ prolapse and defecatory symptoms is neither well understood nor well described. The decision to perform a posterior repair during sa...

Bacillus coagulans Unique IS2 in Constipation: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Functional constipation has a high prevalence in both adults and children affecting quality of life. Evidence suggests that probiotics can reduce the symptoms of constipation. As the effects of probiotics are strain specific, the efficacy of Bacillus coagulans Unique IS2 in the treatment of functional constipation in adults was evaluated. Subjects (n = 100) diagnosed with functional constipation were supplemented with either B. coagulans Unique IS2 (2billion CFU) or placebo capsules once daily for 4weeks. Subjects were evaluated for treatment success (defined as three or more spontaneous stools per week), stool consistency, difficulty of defecation, defecation and abdominal pain. By the end of the fourth week, there was a statistically significant (p < 0.001) increase in number of bowel movements in the probiotic treated group as compared to placebo. Ninety eight percent of subjects in the probiotic group achieved normal stool consistency as compared to placebo (74%). Moreover, there was relief from symptoms of incomplete evacuation, painful defecation and abdominal pain associated with constipation in probiotic treated group as compared to placebo. In conclusion, B. coagulans Unique IS2 significantly decreased the symptoms of constipation indicating effectiveness of the strain in the treatment of constipation.Trial registration: CTRI/2017/11/010539.

15: Dietary patterns and defecatory symptoms in women undergoing surgery for pelvic organ prolapse

15: Dietary patterns and defecatory symptoms in women undergoing surgery for pelvic organ prolapse

Successful long-term use of Gellhorn pessary and the effect on symptoms and quality of life in women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse

To evaluate the long-term continuation rate of the Gellhorn pessary and its effect on bothersome symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (POP). This was a prospective observational study. Ninety-one women with symptomatic POP were successfully fitted with Gellhorn pessaries (short stem) between June, 2015 and January, 2017. The participants were monitored at 3 and 6 months, and also every 6 months afterwards until February, 2018. Prolapse and urinary symptoms were assessed, and the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20) and Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire-7 (PFIQ-7) were administered at baseline and at each follow-up visit. Logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of discontinued pessary use. McNemar's test and paired t tests were used to evaluate the changes in symptoms and QOL in the continuation group. In this study, 58.3% of participants continued to use the pessaries after a median follow-up time of 23.5 months. A total vaginal length <7.5 cm (odds ratio 0.03, 95% confidence interval 0.00-0.35, P = 0.01) was an independent predictor of pessary discontinuation. In the continuation group, almost all prolapse and voiding difficulty symptoms were resolved at the study endpoint. The changes in the urinary and prolapse scales of both the PFIQ-7 (mean [SD] changes were -21.2 [26.6] in the urinary scale and -32.5 [29.5] in the prolapse scale) and PFDI-20 (mean [SD] changes were -15.3 [21.3] in the urinary scale and -29.8 [22.8] in the prolapse scale) achieved clinical significance (effect size >0.5). More than half of the patients continued long-term use of the pessary. The Gellhorn pessary can resolve prolapse and voiding difficulty symptoms effectively. In addition, the Gellhorn pessary can significantly improve the QOL of women via long-term use. However, the Gellhorn pessary has a limited effect on defecatory symptoms.

학년에 따른 청소년의 건강상태와 증상인식에 대한 단면조사 연구

Lifestyle of adolescents cause a lot of health effects in the future. Therefore, in Korea, school health law was enacted and relevant business such as school education program is being carried out. This study was conducted to recognize symptom according to grade. A survey of youth health status was conducted at 19 middle and high schools in Seongnam city from May 2015 to December 2015. The survey made up of 14 questions which was about the health status satisfaction on the adolescent was conducted to investigate frequency by year and the respective health status of 6 grades. A total of 9,584 students responded to the survey, 58.22% answered that they were not free of constipation. 25.69% of respondents had no symptoms of headache, consequently over 70% of respondents had headache. 57.06% of respondents had no symptoms of low back pain and 34.7% had no symptoms of neck & shoulder pain, therefore over 50% of respondents had muscular skeletal symptoms. In menstrual history, only 17.95% of respondents said their period was regular and painless. In respiratory history, except cold, no nasal drop & obstruction has appeared in the group of 54.02%. And 62.97% of respondents had persistent cough usually with cold and 23.41% had cough with cold breeze even if not catch cold. In the third grade of high school students, there were many complaints of pain in various parts such as headache, back pain and shoulder pain, neck pain and menstrual pain, and there was a high rate of complaints of digestive system symptom and defecation symptom. More than half of respondent had constipation discomfort, headache and musculo-skeletal symptoms, menstrual problems and cough. In the third grade of high school students, the rate of complaints of pain complaints, digestive system symptoms, and bowel symptoms was high. Therefore, there is a need for measures and management for continuous health care and health promotion in accordance with students

Evaluation and management of defecatory dysfunction in women.

To summarize the current recommendations for the evaluation and management of defecatory dysfunction in women and highlight key relationships between defecatory dysfunction and other pelvic floor disorders, including pelvic organ prolapse, fecal incontinence, and voiding dysfunction. Conservative measures including lifestyle modifications, pharmacotherapy, and biofeedback continue to be the mainstay of treatment with newer therapies emerging. Physiologic testing and/or radiologic imaging should be considered for those who fail conservative therapy or are clinically complex. Surgical management is appropriate for carefully selected patients with anatomic causes of defecatory dysfunction. Further research is needed on surgical outcomes and patient expectations. Pelvic floor disorders, including defecatory dysfunction, have a significant societal impact and are highly prevalent among women. Given its potential complexity, a broader focus is needed when evaluating women with defecatory symptoms and effective treatment may require multidisciplinary care.

Rectoanal intussusception is very common in patients with fecal incontinence.

Objectives: Fecal incontinence (FI) is a multifactorial disorder, the etiology of which is not fully understood. Recent data have shown the significance of rectoanal intussusception (RAI) in the evaluation of FI. The present study aimed to determine the incidence of RAI in patients with FI. Methods: Between June 2010 and February 2016, 74 patients, who were evaluated using evacuation proctography, anorectal manometry, ultrasound, and incontinence scores, were included in this study. RAI was diagnosed when the apex of the rectal intussusception (RI) impinged on the internal anal orifice or was intra-anal, based on the images taken during maximal straining defecation at evacuation proctography. The characteristics of RAI patients were further analyzed. Results: There were 59 women (80%) and 15 men, with a median age of 74 (52-93) years. Sixty patients (81%) had RI, and 56 (76%) showed RAI. The incidence of RAI among the 32 patients with FI alone and the 42 patients with FI and symptoms of obstructed defecation (OD) was 72% (23/32) and 79% (33/42), respectively. The incidence of RAI was not significantly different between the patients with normal manometry (maximum resting pressure [MRP] ≥55 cmH2O and maximum squeeze pressure [MSP] ≥150 cmH2O, n=26) and those with subnormal manometry (MRP <55 cmH2O and/or MSP <150 cmH2O, n=48). Conclusion: RAI is common in patients with FI. Evacuation proctography should be taken into account as a part of the regular study of FI patients.

Changes in the symptoms and quality of life of women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse fitted with a ring with support pessary

ObjectivesThe study aim was to assess the effect of treatment with a ring with support pessary on bothersome symptoms and the quality of life of patients with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Study designIn this prospective observational study, 142 patients with symptomatic POP were successfully fitted with a ring with support pessary between November 2015 and November 2016 and followed up until December 2017. Prolapse and urinary symptoms were assessed, and the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20) and Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire-7 (PFIQ-7) were administered at baseline and at each follow-up visit. Univariate analyses, McNemar’s test and paired t-tests were used for data analyses. Main outcome measuresChanges in prolapse and urinary symptoms and quality of life after fitting with a ring with support pessary use. ResultsThe median (range) duration of follow-up was 17 (13–24) months. At the study endpoint, 98 patients (74.8%) continued to use the pessaries. Wider vaginal introitus (≥5 cm) was found to be a predictor of pessary discontinuation. Although de novo stress urinary incontinence occurred in 27.1% of patients, almost all prolapse symptoms and most of the concurrent urinary symptoms were resolved, with voiding difficulty resolved most significantly. Scores on both the PFIQ-7 and PFDI-20 had significantly improved at the study endpoint, with changes in scores on the urinary and prolapse sub-scales of both questionnaires demonstrating clinical significance (effect size>0.5). ConclusionsA ring with support pessary is a safe and effective conservative treatment for POP; it not only relieves bothersome prolapse and urinary symptoms but also significantly decreases their impacts on health-related quality of life. However, the method has a limited effect on defecatory symptoms.

Bowel dysfunction after sigmoid resection for cancer and its impact on quality of life.

Several studies have explored functional outcomes after rectal cancer surgery, but bowel dysfunction after sigmoid resection for cancer has hardly been considered. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence and pattern of bowel dysfunction after resection for sigmoid cancer, and the impact of bowel function on quality of life (QoL) by comparison with patients who had polypectomy for cancer. This was a national cross-sectional study. Data were collected from the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group database, and a questionnaire regarding bowel function and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 QoL questionnaire was sent to all Danish colonic cancer survivors treated with sigmoid resection or polypectomy between 2001 and 2014. A total of 3295 patients (3061 sigmoid resection, 234 polypectomy) responded to the questionnaire (response rate 63·8 per cent). Twelve bowel symptoms were more prevalent after sigmoid resection, including: excessive straining, fragmentation, bloating, nocturnal defaecation, bowel false alarm, liquid stool incontinence, incomplete evacuation and sense of outlet obstruction. QoL impairment owing to bowel symptoms was reported in 16·6 per cent of patients in the resection group and 10·1 per cent after polypectomy (P = 0·008). Obstructed defaecation symptoms (ODS) were encountered significantly more often after sigmoid resection than following polypectomy (17·9 versus 7·3 per cent; P < 0·001). In the resection group, patients with ODS had substantial impairment on most aspects of QoL assessed by the EORTC QLQ-C30. Sigmoid resection for cancer is associated with an increased risk of long-term bowel dysfunction; obstructed defaecation is prevalent and associated with substantial impairment of QoL.

Women's experiences of managing digitation: do we ask enough in primary care?

The aim of this paper was to consider the available evidence for the current management of pelvic organ prolapse, which is a common presentation in primary care. However, not all women will present, only presenting when symptoms become bothersome. Particular attention was paid to understanding the problem of rectocele and its influence on obstructive defaecation symptoms. The burden of rectocele and its consequences are not truly known. Furthermore, healthcare professionals may not always enquire about bowel symptoms and patients may not disclose them. Complex emotions around coping and managing stress add to the challenges with seeking healthcare. Therefore, the impact on the lived experience of women who have difficulty with rectal emptying can be significant. The review identified a dearth of knowledge about women living with the problem of obstructive defaecation resulting in the use of digitation. Improving the management of digitation, an under-reported problem, is necessary to improve the quality of life for women. Primary care needs to increase access to conservative measures for women struggling with bothersome symptoms, such as constipation, the need to digitate or anxiety.

Inhibitory effect of the Kampo medicinal formula Yokukansan on acute stress-induced defecation in rats.

ObjectivesIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder with symptoms of abnormal defecation and abdominal discomfort. Psychological factors are well known to be involved in onset and exacerbation of IBS. A few studies have reported effectiveness of traditional herbal (Kampo) medicines in IBS treatment. Yokukansan (YKS) has been shown to have anti-stress and anxiolytic effects. We investigated the effect of YKS on defecation induced by stress and involvement of oxytocin (OT), a peptide hormone produced by the hypothalamus, in order to elucidate the mechanism of YKS action.Methods and resultsMale Wistar rats were divided into four groups; control, YKS (300 mg/kg PO)-treated non-stress (YKS), acute stress (Stress), and YKS (300 mg/kg PO)-treated acute stress (Stress+YKS) groups. Rats in the Stress and Stress+YKS groups were exposed to a 15-min psychological stress procedure involving novel environmental stress. Levels of plasma OT in the YKS group were significantly higher compared with those in the Control group (P < 0.05), and OT levels in the Stress+YKS group were remarkably higher than those in the other groups (P < 0.01). Next, rats were divided into four groups; Stress, Stress+YKS, Atosiban (OT receptor antagonist; 1 mg/kg IP)-treated Stress+YKS (Stress+YKS+B), and OT (0.04 mg/kg IP)-treated acute stress (Stress+OT) groups. Rats were exposed to acute stress as in the previous experiment, and defecation during the stress load was measured. Administration of YKS or OT significantly inhibited defecation; however, administration of Atosiban partially abolished the inhibitory effect of YKS. Finally, direct action of YKS on motility of isolated colon was assessed. YKS (1 mg/mL, 5 mg/mL) did not inhibit spontaneous contraction.ConclusionThese results suggested that YKS influences stress-induced defecation and that increased OT secretion may be a mechanism underlying this phenomenon.