Treatments for Fecal Incontinence: A Review of the Research for Adults - Consumer Summary | AHRQ Effective Health Care Program

Treatments for Fecal Incontinence: A Review of the Research for Adults - Consumer Summary | AHRQ Effective Health Care Program

Consumer Summary – Jul. 5, 2016

Treatments for Fecal Incontinence: A Review of the Research for Adults

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Table of Contents

• Is This Information Right for Me?
• Understanding Your Condition
• Understanding Your Options
• Making a Decision
• Source

Is This Information Right for Me?

This information is right for you if:

• Your health care professional* said you or your loved one has fecal incontinence (FI). People with FI have trouble holding their stool until they can get to the bathroom. Stool sometimes leaks by accident. FI is also sometimes called "accidental bowel leakage."
• You want to know what treatments are available for FI and what researchers have found about how well the treatments work.
• You or your loved one are age 18 or older. The information in this summary is from research on adults.

What will this summary tell me?

This summary will answer these questions:

• What is FI?
• What are treatment options for FI?
• What have researchers found about how well FI treatments work?
• What are possible side effects or complications of the treatments?
• What should I discuss with my health care professional?

Note: This summary only discusses research on treatments for FI. It does not cover products that people with FI use, such as pads, disposable underwear, and skin care products.

* Your health care professional may include your primary care physician, gastroenterologist (a doctor who specializes in the digestive system), proctologist (a doctor who specializes in diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus), gynecologist (a doctor who specializes in the female reproductive system), urogynecologist (a doctor who specializes in disorders of the pelvic floor), surgeon, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant.

What is the source of this information?

Researchers funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a Federal Government research agency, reviewed studies on treatments for fecal incontinence published between 1980 and June 2015. The reportincluded 63 studies comparing one treatment to another and 53 studies on only surgery for FI. The report was reviewed by health care professionals, researchers, experts, and the public.

AHRQ Research Summaries Support Decision Making About Treatments for Fecal Incontinence in Adults

Treatments for Fecal Incontinence: A Review of the Research for Adults - Consumer Summary | AHRQ Effective Health Care Program

Treatments for Fecal Incontinence: Current State of the Evidence - Clinician Summary | AHRQ Effective Health Care Program

Treatments for Fecal Incontinence - Research Review - Final | AHRQ Effective Health Care Program

New evidence-based research summaries are available from AHRQ to help clinicians, adults and their caregivers make informed treatment decisions about fecal incontinence – the recurrent and involuntary loss of feces, defined by the frequency of episodes and consistency of the feces. The summaries present the benefits and harms of both nonsurgical and surgical treatments for fecal incontinence. Because the evidence on treatments is limited, it is important that clinicians and patients work together to decide which treatment approaches might be best.  A research summary for cliniciansand a companion brochure for patients and their caregiversprovide important discussion points that can most affect outcome priorities and quality of life of the patient. Access the full research review, or obtain more evidence-based clinician and consumer publications about treatment options for a variety of health conditions at the Effective Health Care Program website.