Sacral nerve stimulation as a treatment for fecal incontinence

Sacral nerve stimulation is a proven therapeutic option for the treatment of some forms of urinary incontinence. Very recently, preliminary reports have given evidence for its efficacy in fecal incontinence (FI) too.

Since November 1998, 20 patients have been treated for severe FI. The cause of FI was mainly neurologic (n = 15), and was idiopathic in 5 patients. After temporary (subchronic) external stimulation over a period of 10-14 days, patients whose continence status improved underwent implantation of a permanent quadripolar lead and a subcutaneously implanted pulse generator.

Acute (needle) testing revealed a positive pelvic floor response in 16 patients who underwent subsequent permanent implantation. The median number of incontinence episodes decreased from 6 episodes (3-15/21 days) to 2 (0-5/21 days). The time period of retention of a volume of saline causing an urge until definitive defecation was 2 minutes (range, 0-5 minutes) preoperatively and increased to 7.5 minutes (2-15 minutes) postoperatively. Results of preoperative and postoperative (3 months) anal manometry showed a statistically significant increase in maximal resting and squeeze pressures.

Sacral nerve stimulation seems to be a new and promising modality for patients with certain types of FI in whom conventional treatment options have failed to achieve an improvement.