IS A NEW BIOFEEDBACK THERAPY EFFECTIVE FOR FECAL INCONTINENCE IN PATIENTS WHO HAVE ANORECTAL-MALFORMATIONS

Purpose: The authors devised computerized equipment for use in the bio feedback therapy in the management of fecal continence after surgery f or anorectal malformations. Methods: The therapy was used for two to e ight sessions in 14 children (11 who had high-type anomalies and three who had intermediate-type anomalies). The ages ranged 5 to 14 years. A control group of 17 children, aged 5 to 11 years, who had encopresis , was also treated with the same biofeedback therapy. Results: Clinica l improvement was noted in 5 of the 14 (36%) children who had fecal in continence, and in 15 of the 17 children (88%) who had encopresis, Bot h in patients who had fecal incontinence and in those who had encopres is, anal resting pressures were not affected by biofeedback therapy, F urthermore, the anal resting pressure in children who had fecal incont inence was significantly lower than that in children who had encopresi s. However, anorectal manometry showed that the biofeedback therapy im proved voluntary sphincter function and rectal sensation in both group s, Conclusion: Biofeedback therapy appears to be effective in most chi ldren who have encopresis whose sphincter function is intact, and in s ome children who have fecal incontinence after surgery far anorectal m alformations. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.