E-Posters-Electrostimulation with or without Biofeedback for the Management of Anal Incontinence

Electrostimulation with or without Biofeedback for the Management of Anal Incontinence - Christian R Choque Hidalgo

Pdf Summary

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of electrostimulation (ES) with or without biofeedback (BF) for the management of anal incontinence (AI). The study analyzed a retrospective cohort of patients with AI who underwent ES with or without BF from January to December 2018. Patients who did not attend all their prescribed ES sessions and females with incomplete clinical data were excluded. All patients initially received conservative treatment including lifestyle changes, pelvic floor exercises, and medications. They also received weekly 20-minute ES sessions for 12 weeks. The standard protocol for ES was a frequency of 50 Hz and pulse width of 200 ms. BF was applied to patients who were able to recognize their pelvic floor muscles.<br /><br />Two independent groups were analyzed: one received only ES, and the other received ES + BF. The female patients were evaluated using Wexner anal incontinence score, fecal incontinence quality of life score (FIQLS), and a visual analog scale to assess the effect of treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS-24.<br /><br />A total of 50 female patients were included in the study, with 22% receiving ES alone and 78% receiving ES + BF. Significant improvement was observed in both groups throughout the therapy sessions. However, there was a higher percentage of improvement in the ES + BF group. This study suggests that both ES with BF and ES alone are effective options for managing AI. The use of validated scores to assess treatment response was a strength of this study. Limitations include the retrospective cohort design, small sample size, and the inability to apply BF to all females.<br /><br />In conclusion, this study demonstrates that both ES with BF and ES alone are viable options for managing AI. The ES + BF group showed a higher percentage of improvement.

Keywords

electrostimulation

biofeedback

anal incontinence

management

retrospective cohort

patients

conservative treatment

pelvic floor exercises

medications

treatment effectiveness