Peripheral Nerve Evaluation (PNE) for Fecal Incontinence
Do the following sound familiar?
Frequent bowel accidents
Monitoring what and how much you eat
Using pads or protective garments
Planning activities around the bathroom
These are symptoms of fecal incontinence. Unfortunately, many people experience problems with bowel and bladder continence — about 1 in 12 adults in the US has fecal incontinence, and 21 million adults in the US are affected by fecal incontinence. These symptoms can cause problems emotionally, physically, and even socially. Although discussing the problem can be embarrassing, there are a variety of treatment options that the providers at IGIC can offer you. These options can range from simple solutions such as fiber supplementation and optimization of your medications to more nuanced and individualized approaches including physical therapy and neurostimulation.
Our on staff physical therapists have extensive training and expertise in the specific treatment of pelvic floor problems. These are private sessions that focus on your comfort and gradual improvement.
Neurostimulation is an approach to bowel continence problems that focuses on improving the communication that your lower body has with your brain and nervous system.
Our doctors can offer a treatment called Peripheral Nerve Evaluation, or PNE. This is a simple, in-office procedure done with the help of local anesthesia. It requires no preparation and can be done in the order of minutes. During this evaluation, a provider will use a small needle to numb the skin on your back and insert a very thin caliber lead into the tissue under the skin. This lead is then left in place for about one week along with an external stimulator that the patient wears on a belt. During this week, we monitor your symptoms and compare them to the symptoms you had prior to the stimulation.
If the test is successful, which it is in about 70-80% of the appropriately selected patients, we can discuss having a more permanent treatment that can deliver a similar level of stimulation.
Please let your IGIC provider know if you have ever had any problems with bowel continence, such as leakage of stool, frank stool related accidents, or even severe urgency that limits your social interactions and life. Fecal Incontinence (FI) is a treatable condition. It’s not a normal part of aging. And you shouldn’t have to deal with it on your own.
