Faecal incontinenc following ano-rectal surgery and its management

Faecal Incontinence is the inability to control bowel movements, causing feces to leak unexpectedly from the rectum. Also called Bowel Incontinence, Faecal Incontinence ranges from an occasional leakage of stool while passing gas to complete loss of bowel control. Most common cause of faecal incontinence is damage to the anal sphincter or their nerves. Normally the rectum stretches to hold stool until one can get to toilet. But after the ano-rectal surgery, there is a scarring that makes the walls of the rectum stiff, fibrous and less elastic. The rectum then can’t stretch as much and can’t hold stool resulting in faecal incontinence. Also injury to the nerves that sense the stool in the rectum or those that has control on the anal sphincters can lead to Faecal Incontinence. Many patients feel embarrassed about bowel incontinence and most of them didn’t tell their problem to the consulting doctor. But incontinence can be treated successfully. Maintaining proper diet with high fibre intake, avoiding meat, alcohol, caffeine, fatty, fried, oily and spicy foods, bowel retaining and pelvic floor exercises including Mool Bandha described in Yoga to make the anal and pelvis muscles stronger and proper treatment can help most patients gain normal control of the bowels If the treatment does not work, surgery may help correct the problem. There are several types of procedures. The choice of surgery is based on the cause of the incontinence and the patient's general health.