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Patient-Controlled Biofeedback Device for the Treatment of Fecal Incontinence: A Pilot Study

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Abstract

Although biofeedback has been used as a first-line therapy for fecal incontinence, it is known to be time consuming and demands attendance to a hospital during the whole period of treatment. In this study, we describe a new biofeedback device specifically developed for home treatment of fecal incontinence, which consists of a microprocessor controlled unit able to register and store the anal pressure waves corresponding to exercises performed by patients at home. In order to test the new device, a pilot study including ten patients with fecal incontinence was conducted. Evaluation of patients before and after the biofeedback training showed significant improvement in manometric and clinical parameters of anal continence. The new method may improve compliance of patients with the training program and reduce their need to be supervised during the treatment. It might represent a new alternative for the treatment of fecal incontinence.

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Funding

This work was financed by FIPE, the HCPA research fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Coloproctology, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, and Postgraduate Program in Surgery, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350, sala (room) 600, Porto Alegre, RS, 90 035-903, Brazil

    Daniel C. Damin, Felipe Hommerding & Delber Schirmer

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Paulo R. S. Sanches, Danton P. Silva Junior, André F. Müller & Paulo R. O. Thome

Authors
  1. Daniel C. Damin
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  2. Felipe Hommerding
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  3. Delber Schirmer
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  4. Paulo R. S. Sanches
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  5. Danton P. Silva Junior
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  6. André F. Müller
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  7. Paulo R. O. Thome
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel C. Damin.

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Conflict of interest

DC Damin, D Schirmer, PS Sanches, DP Silva Junior, AF Müller, and PR Thome are listed as inventors and hold a patent for the patient-controlled biofeedback device.

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Damin, D.C., Hommerding, F., Schirmer, D. et al. Patient-Controlled Biofeedback Device for the Treatment of Fecal Incontinence: A Pilot Study. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 42, 133–137 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-017-9352-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-017-9352-6

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