BIOFEEDBACK TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC CONSTIPATION AND ENCOPRESIS IN CHILDHOOD - LONG-TERM OUTCOME

Objective. Abnormal defecation dynamics often are present in children with chronic constipation and encopresis. Patients who learned normal defecation dynamics with biofeedback treatment had improved short-term outcome. The aim of our research was to evaluate if biofeedback treat ment improved long-term outcome.Design. One hundred twenty-nine childr en with constipation, encopresis, and abnormal defecation dynamics wer e treated conventionally; 63 of them received additional biofeedback t raining directed towards teaching normal defecation dynamics. Results. At follow-up (4.1 +/- 1.5 years), 86% of conventionally treated patie nts and 87% of biofeedback-treated patients had improvement in encopre sis; 62% of conventionally treated patients, 50% of successful biofeed back-treated patients, and 23% of unsuccessful biofeedback-treated pat ients had recovered from chronic constipation and encopresis. Recovery rates were similar for conventionally treated patients and biofeedbac k-treated patients who learned normal defecation dynamics (P >.2) but significantly lower for unsuccessful biofeedback-treated patients (P < .02). Length of follow-up was significantly related to recovery (P <.0 1). Conclusion. Learning normal defecation dynamics with biofeedback t raining did not increase long-term recovery rates in children with chr onic constipation, encopresis, and abnormal defecation dynamics above those achieved with conventional treatment alone.