EFFECT OF ELECTROSTIMULATION ON SPHINCTER FUNCTION IN FECAL INCONTINENCE

The following study reports on transanal electric stimulation as a con servative method of treatment in anal incontinence. In the centre of i nterest are clinical examinations on 45 patients that underwent a comb ined treatment with the IT-system 100 from Reha-Medi and pelvic floor training. A collective of 29 patients only treated with pelvic floor t raining was used as a control group. The results were based on a thoro ugh medical history ascertainment and the corresponding clinical exami nations at the beginning and end of the treatment. Our findings were c lassified according to the modified score of incontinence of Holschnei der [16]. After therapy 42,2 % of patients with electric stimulation t herapy and 27,6 % of the control group showed continence. 40 respectiv ely 62,1 % were non responder without relevant benefit. In the electri c stimulation group the median score before and after therapy amounted to 6,57 versus 9,24 points. The control group achieved 6,72 respectiv ely 8,58 points. The differences are statistically significant (p < 0, 05, Student t-test). Concerning the results in relation to the cause o f the incontinence, no significant differences between idiopathic and traumatic origin of the insufficiency of the sphincter mechanism are f ound in both groups. Therefore all variations of anorectal incontinenc e are seen as indication for treatment. The international literature a s well as our own results confirm that electric stimulation is effecti ve and may be in special cases a major factor in the conservative trea tment of anorectal incontinence.