Obstructed Defecation

Obstructed defecation can be a significant problem for a large number of patients and treatment options are limited. Most patients can be helped by nonsurgical treatment options. Surgical intervention is successful in some patients, but preoperative selection of appropriate surgical candidates remains a problem. New abdominal surgical techniques for the treatment of patients with rectal intussusception have recently been introduced with promising results at short-term follow-up. Long-term follow-up in additional centers are warranted to establish the efficacy and durability of these methods. The efficacy and safety of the STARR procedure is still controversial and the technique has varying penetration in different parts of the world. Early experience indicates that sacral nerve stimulation may be effective also in some constipation patients.