Management of Fecal Incontinence in Children

Few things are more frustrating to parents and young patients than issues involving chronic constipation and involuntary defecation. These issues often have a significant negative impact on quality of life for children and their family.

Listen to a pediatric surgeon discuss management of fecal incontinence in children

In this episode, we talk with Andrea Bischoff, MD about the key features, diagnostic evaluation and treatment of fecal incontinence in children, especially those with previous surgical conditions and other sacral problems.

Dr. Bischoff is an Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She’s also the Assistant Director of the International Center for Colorectal and Urogenital Care at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

In this episode, our experts discuss:

• Medical and surgical conditions that can cause fecal incontinence
• Our colorectal team’s approach to patients who report fecal incontinence and soiling during follow-up appointments
• How the colorectal team assesses sacral quality and learn about patients’ previous surgeries performed by other surgeons in order to plan treatment
• The colorectal team’s approach to treatment and communication with families when there is a low probability that the child will be able to maintain independent bowel function
• Treatment of fecal incontinence with enemas
• The week-long Bowel Management Program at Children’s Colorado
• What the colorectal team does to try to keep kids clean for 24 hours during the week-long program
• Typical recipes for enemas, home set-up for delivery of enemas and patient outcomes
• The antegrade continence enema (ACE), or Malone procedure, which can help kids achieve independence in the delivery of enemas
• The typical age for a Malone procedure
• How the colorectal team is educating surgeons around the world about how to approach anorectal malformations

Treatment of fecal incontinence at Children’s Colorado

Our team of multidisciplinary professionals in the International Center for Colorectal and Urogenital Care are here for patients and their families living with conditions such as fecal incontinence, Hirschsprung disease, anorectal malformations, cloacal exstrophy and bowel complications related to other diagnoses. Our fully dedicated pediatric colorectal surgeons have the most experience in the world in treating these conditions, as well as the largest database of patients with congenital colorectal conditions.