The Utility of the Functional Sphincter Area: A Novel Functional Lumen Imaging Probe Parameter for the Assessment of Anal Sphincter Structure and Function in Fecal Incontinence.
Emergingsuggested applicable standard· American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS), "The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Fecal Incontinence," Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, 2023
Decision at stakeassessing anal sphincter structure and function in fecal incontinence
… Sphincteroplasty remains appropriate for symptomatic patients with a defined external anal sphincter defect; repeat sphincteroplasty after a failed overlapping repair should generally be avoided in favor of other modalities. …
From our summary of this standard, unedited — the part the paper bears on. … marks omitted text. Our wording, not the guideline's; read the source for its own text.
Our full summary of this standard
First exclude emergency/secondary causes (cauda equina/cord compression, fecal impaction with overflow) with a mandatory digital rectal exam, screen for eating disorder before dietary restriction, and classify the subtype (urge, passive, overflow, mixed) since it drives therapy. Work up loose-stool FI for inflammatory, infectious, and bile-acid drivers before labeling idiopathic. Manage with a stepwise ladder: optimize stool consistency (fiber, loperamide, bile-acid sequestrant, or TCA neuromodulator), pelvic floor PT plus biofeedback, skin protection and bridge devices, then escalate to surgical therapy. Prescribe the antimotility/neuromodulator agents with their indications, dosing, and safety limits: loperamide is first-line for loose-stool/urge FI, start low (e.g., 2 mg before meals or as needed) and titrate to stool consistency while staying within the FDA-approved maximum (8 mg/day OTC, 16 mg/day prescription), because the FDA warns that higher-than-recommended doses cause QT prolongation, torsades de pointes, and cardiac arrest; the TCA neuromodulator (e.g., amitriptyline, typically low-dose ~20 mg) is an off-label option reserved for loose-stool/idiopathic FI, and the AGS Beers Criteria recommend avoiding TCAs such as amitriptyline in older adults given their strong anticholinergic burden, sedation, orthostatic hypotension, and fall risk. Per the dedicated ASCRS 2023 fecal-incontinence guideline (updating ASCRS 2007, superseding reliance on ACG's broader 2021 anorectal-disorders guideline as the primary specialty source), sacral neuromodulation is a first-line surgical option for incontinent patients WITH OR WITHOUT a defined anal sphincter defect (conditional recommendation, low-quality evidence), it is not gated on documenting a sphincter defect. Sphincteroplasty remains appropriate for symptomatic patients with a defined external anal sphincter defect; repeat sphincteroplasty after a failed overlapping repair should generally be avoided in favor of other modalities. Antegrade continence enemas are an option before colostomy, which remains last resort.