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Prevalence of bowel symptoms in women with pelvic floor disorders

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Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis

To determine the prevalence of a variety of bowel symptoms in women with pelvic floor disorders

Methods

We reviewed charts of consecutive new patients presenting to our urogynecologic clinic between July 2006 and April 2008. Women completed two bowel symptom questionnaires: (1) a nonvalidated questionnaire inquiring about symptoms of fecal/flatal incontinence, painful bowel movements, difficulties in bowel movement, and the need for splinting and (2) the validated, Colorectal–Anal Distress Inventory (CRADI) subscale of the short form of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory. Demographic and clinical information were extracted from patients’ charts.

Results

Four hundred sixty-three women were included. Only 3% of the women presented with defecatory dysfunction or fecal incontinence as their chief complaint. However, 83% answered affirmatively to the presence of at least one CRADI bowel symptom. The most common bowel symptom was incomplete emptying at the end of a bowel movement (56%), followed by straining to have a bowel movement (55%), and flatal incontinence (54%).

Conclusions

Women rarely seek urogynecologic care primarily for bowel symptoms, although they have a high prevalence of bowel symptoms.

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Conflicts of interest

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, Urogynecology Consultants, 10012 Kennerly Road, Suite 403, St. Louis, MO, 63128, USA

    Fareesa Raza-Khan

  2. Department of OBGYN, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Jacqueline Cunkelman

  3. Department of OBGYN and Urology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, USA

    Lior Lowenstein & Kimberly Kenton

  4. Department of Biostatistics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Susan Shott

  5. Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, Washington University, 4911 Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza, Campus Box 8064, St. Louis, MO, 63110-1094, USA

    Fareesa Raza-Khan

Authors
  1. Fareesa Raza-Khan
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  2. Jacqueline Cunkelman
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  3. Lior Lowenstein
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  4. Susan Shott
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  5. Kimberly Kenton
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fareesa Raza-Khan.

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Raza-Khan, F., Cunkelman, J., Lowenstein, L. et al. Prevalence of bowel symptoms in women with pelvic floor disorders. Int Urogynecol J 21, 933–938 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-010-1143-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-010-1143-z

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