What is the diagnostic procedure for fecal incontinence?

Besides the patient’s medical history, the doctor asks about the incontinence problem, and proceeds to a physical finger examination and possibly other medical tests, such as:

• Anorectal manometry, which checks the tightness of the anal sphincter and its ability to respond to messages, as well as the sensitivity and function of the rectum.
• Rectal Ultrasound, which assesses the sphincter structure of the anus and the integrity of the sphincters.
• The Defecating Proctogram. With this, we evaluate the amount of stool that the rectum can hold, the behavior of the different parts of the anus and rectum during the defecation process, and the degree of stool completion or incomplete stools
• Rectosigmoidoscopy, which allows the doctor to check inside the rectum for findings of disease or other problems that may be caused by fecal incontinence, such as inflammation, tumors, or scar tissue.
• Electromyography of the rectum for nerve damage, which is often associated with obstetric injuries.