Management of fecal incontinence

Fecal incontinence is not a rare condition. In the majority of patients, no operative means result in symptom relief. Only if these fail surgical intervention is indicated. Various new surgical options have evolved over the last decades. The evidence of their efficacy varies substantially. The mainstays of surgical treatment of fecal incontinence are sphincteroplasty and sacral nerve stimulation. Data of other techniques, like posterior tibial nerve stimulation, radiofrequency energy delivery and bulking agents, are less robust. The article aims to outline the currently commonly accepted and frequently applied surgical techniques for treatment of fecal incontinence and their results and to present novel techniques, which carry potential for the future.