La incontinencia fecal es la incapacidad para controlar los movimientos intestinales, a menudo conduce a situaciones embarazosas y angustiantes. El Dr. Albert Chung, un cirujano colorrectal altamente cualificado y compasivo en Santa Margarita, CA, ofrece una evaluación experta y tratamientos personalizados para la incontinencia fecal para ayudarle a recuperar la confianza y el control sobre su vida diaria. Para la atención compasiva, individualizada, llame a nuestra clínica colorrectal en Santa Ana en (714) 988-8690 para programar su consulta.
La incontinencia fecal afecta a aproximadamente 18 millones de adultos en Estados Unidos, con una prevalencia ligeramente mayor entre las mujeres. Se produce cuando se alteran los mecanismos normales de control intestinal, lo que provoca pérdidas involuntarias o la pérdida total del control intestinal. Muchos pacientes sufren en silencio durante años por vergüenza, sin darse cuenta de lo tratable que es en realidad esta afección. El impacto en la vida cotidiana es real, y un diagnóstico adecuado es el punto de partida para lograr un alivio significativo.
La incontinencia fecal no es una única afección. Saber qué tipo de incontinencia se padece es fundamental para determinar el tratamiento.
Los pacientes que padecen incontinencia fecal suelen referir:
Si se da alguno de estos casos, vale la pena hacerse una evaluación. El tratamiento precoz suele dar mejores resultados que dejar que la afección se agrave.
Hay varios factores que pueden contribuir a la incontinencia fecal, a menudo de forma conjunta. Identificar la causa subyacente es fundamental para elegir el tratamiento adecuado.
Durante la consulta, el Dr. Chung analizará detenidamente sus síntomas, su historial médico y los factores relacionados con su estilo de vida. A continuación, se le realizará un examen físico completo, que suele incluir un tacto rectal para evaluar el tono del esfínter. Existen varias pruebas diagnósticas que ayudan a determinar la causa subyacente:
El tratamiento es muy personalizado. La mayoría de los pacientes mejoran con una combinación de estrategias, que comienza con medidas conservadoras y se intensifica solo si es necesario.
Los plazos de recuperación y los cuidados posteriores dependen del tipo de tratamiento. Las intervenciones dietéticas y de fortalecimiento del suelo pélvico suelen dar resultados tras semanas o meses de práctica constante. Los tratamientos quirúrgicos y de neuromodulación tienen sus propios plazos de recuperación, y se proporcionan instrucciones postoperatorias detalladas.
Un seguimiento continuo permite ajustar el plan de tratamiento y mantener los avances. La mayoría de los pacientes experimentan una mejora notable y recuperan la confianza en sus actividades cotidianas.
This page is about fecal incontinence, the loss of control over stool or gas. Urinary and stress incontinence involve the bladder and are treated by urologists and urogynecologists. The two often occur together, especially after childbirth, because the same pelvic floor muscles and nerves support both. If you have both, Dr. Chung treats the bowel side and can coordinate with a pelvic floor specialist for the rest. Pelvic floor physical therapy frequently helps both at once.
Vaginal delivery is the most common cause of fecal incontinence in women, and the damage often does not show up until years or decades later. A third- or fourth-degree tear, forceps delivery, or a large baby can injure the anal sphincter muscle or stretch the pudendal nerve. The sphincter compensates for a while; then aging, menopause, or a bout of diarrhea tips the balance and symptoms appear. Many women assume this is a normal part of aging and never mention it. It is not, and it is treatable. An endoanal ultrasound shows whether the sphincter is torn, and that single finding determines whether the best treatment is muscle strengthening, nerve stimulation, or repair.
Sacral nerve stimulation is the most significant advance in fecal incontinence treatment in a generation, and it has largely replaced sphincter repair for patients whose problem is not a simple, recent muscle tear. A thin lead is placed next to the sacral nerve that controls the rectum and sphincter, and a small stimulator, similar to a pacemaker, delivers a gentle current that improves the coordination of the muscles and the sensation of the rectum. The treatment happens in two steps: a test phase of one to two weeks with a temporary external stimulator, during which you keep a bowel diary, and then, if accidents have fallen by at least half (which is the case for most patients), permanent implantation of the device under the skin of the upper buttock. Both steps are short outpatient procedures. Published series report that around three quarters of patients maintain a major improvement at five years, and the device can be turned off or removed at any time.
| Underlying cause | First-line treatment | If that is not enough |
|---|---|---|
| Loose stool overwhelming a normal sphincter | Fiber, diet changes, loperamide, treating the cause of diarrhea | Bile acid binders; evaluation for IBD or other causes |
| Weak but intact sphincter | Pelvic floor physical therapy with biofeedback | Sacral neuromodulation |
| Torn sphincter from childbirth or injury | Pelvic floor therapy; sphincteroplasty for recent, well-defined tears | Sacral neuromodulation, which works even with a defect |
| Nerve damage (diabetes, spinal injury, pudendal neuropathy) | Bowel routine, stool consistency management | Sacral neuromodulation |
| Overflow from constipation | Bowel regimen to clear and prevent impaction | Evaluation for pelvic floor dyssynergia |
| Rectal prolapse or large hemorrhoids | Repair of the prolapse or hemorrhoids | Reassess continence after repair |
Fecal incontinence is under-treated in Orange County for the same reason it is everywhere: patients do not bring it up, and many physicians do not ask. Dr. Chung offers the full evaluation, including anorectal manometry and endoanal ultrasound, and every current treatment from pelvic floor therapy to sacral neuromodulation and sphincter repair, in a setting built to make the conversation easy.
Dr. Chung sees patients at 30212 Tomas, Suite 365, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, off the 241 toll road in South Orange County. Patients come from Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, Ladera Ranch, Trabuco Canyon, Santa Ana, and across Orange County. Most new patients are seen within days, and a first visit usually includes the exam, a plain-language explanation, and a treatment plan the same day.
Not ready for an in-person visit? Dr. Chung also offers online video consultations. Read what patients say on the reviews page.
Often, or at least improved to the point where it no longer affects daily life. Dietary and medication changes help most patients with loose-stool incontinence. Pelvic floor therapy and sacral neuromodulation produce major improvement in the majority of patients with muscle weakness or nerve problems, and sphincter repair can restore control after a discrete tear.
No. Testing (manometry and ultrasound) involves a small probe and is uncomfortable at most. Pelvic floor therapy and biofeedback are painless. Sacral neuromodulation involves two short outpatient procedures with local anesthesia and sedation, and most patients describe the stimulation as a mild tingling or nothing at all.
As soon as it is happening regularly enough to change how you live: avoiding outings, wearing pads, or planning your day around bathrooms. Earlier treatment works better, and the evaluation is simpler than most patients expect.
Fecal incontinence is loss of control over stool or gas and is treated by a colorectal surgeon. Urinary incontinence is loss of bladder control and is treated by a urologist or urogynecologist. They share causes, particularly childbirth injury and pelvic floor weakness, and often improve together with pelvic floor therapy.
A small implanted device, similar to a pacemaker, that stimulates the sacral nerve controlling the rectum and anal sphincter. It is tested first with a temporary lead for one to two weeks, and implanted permanently only if it works. It is the most effective treatment for fecal incontinence that has not responded to conservative care.
Evaluation, pelvic floor physical therapy, sacral neuromodulation, and sphincter repair are generally covered as medically necessary treatments, subject to your plan's deductible and any prior authorization requirements. The office verifies coverage before any procedure is scheduled.
La incontinencia fecal es una afección médica, no algo de lo que avergonzarse. El Dr. Chung trata esta afección con la naturalidad que merece. La consulta es confidencial, directa y, a menudo, el punto de partida para una mejora real.
Reserva una consulta Llame al (714) 988-8690Muchos pacientes logran una mejoría significativa o una resolución completa con tratamientos adecuados y adaptados a su dolencia específica.
La mayoría de los tratamientos para la incontinencia fecal, incluidas las opciones quirúrgicas, implican mínimas molestias. El Dr. Chung da prioridad a la comodidad del paciente y utiliza técnicas diseñadas para reducir el dolor y acelerar la recuperación.
Busque una evaluación médica tan pronto como los síntomas perturben su vida cotidiana o le causen angustia emocional, ya que una intervención precoz proporciona los mejores resultados.
Estamos aquí para escucharte mientras te curas. No dudes en ponerte en contacto con nosotros.
El diagnóstico y tratamiento oportunos mejoran en gran medida los resultados del cáncer colorrectal. Llame a la clínica colorrectal del Dr. Albert Chung en el condado de Orange.
