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Rectal prolapse

Rectal prolapse



Overview

Rectal prolapse happens when the rectum slips out of the anus and can be seen outside the body. While rectal prolapse may cause pain, it's rarely a medical emergency.

Rectal prolapse is sometimes treated with stool softeners, suppositories and other medicines. But surgery is usually needed to treat rectal prolapse.

Symptoms

If you have rectal prolapse, you may notice a reddish lump that comes out of the anus, often while straining during a bowel movement. The lump may slip back inside the anus, or it may continue to be seen.

Other symptoms may include:

You cannot control your bowel movements, known as fecal incontinence.

Constipation or loose stools.

Leaking blood or mucus from the rectum.

Feeling that your rectum isn't empty after a bowel movement.

Causes

The cause of rectal prolapse is unclear. Though it's a common belief that rectal prolapse is related to childbirth, about one-third of women with this health problem never had children.

Risk factors

Some things may increase your risk of getting rectal prolapse, including:

Sex. Most people with rectal prolapse are women.

Age. Rectal prolapse most often happens in people over age 50.

Constipation. Straining may increase the risk of rectal prolapse.

Diagnosis

Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between rectal prolapse and hemorrhoids. To find rectal prolapse and rule out other related health problems, a healthcare professional may suggest:

Digital rectal exam. Your health professional places a gloved and lubricated finger into your rectum to check the strength of your sphincter muscles and to check for any problems in the rectal area. During the exam, you may be asked to bear down to check for rectal prolapse.

Anal manometry. A narrow, flexible tube is inserted into the anus and rectum. A small balloon at the tip of the tube may be blown up. This test helps measure the tightness of your anal sphincter and how your rectum is working.

Colonoscopy. To rule out other conditions, such as hemorrhoids, polyps or colon cancer, you may have a colonoscopy. For this procedure, a flexible tube is placed in your rectum to look at all of the colon.

Defecography. This test adds the use of a dye to an imaging study, such as X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging, also called MRI. Defecography can help show structural changes in and around your lower digestive tract and find out how your rectal muscles are working.

Treatment

Treatment for rectal prolapse often involves surgery. Treatment for constipation with stool softeners, suppositories and other medicines are often needed. There are different surgical methods for treating rectal prolapse. Your healthcare professional will pick the best treatment for you after going over your age, health problems and how your bowels work.

If it's not causing bothersome symptoms, you may be able to live for some time with rectal prolapse, taking care of it at home. Taking care of it means pushing your rectum back inside manually. Healthcare providers recommend that you lie on your side with your knees to your chest and use a wet, warm cloth to gently push your rectum back into place. However, prolapse will continue to worsen over time.

Untreated rectal prolapse can lead to several possible complications, including:

Fecal incontinence. As your anal muscles continue to stretch, you may have increased difficulty holding in gas and poop. Of those with rectal prolapse, 50% to 75% of people report this complication.

Constipation. Bunching of the rectum and muscle coordination problems may cause you difficulty evacuating your stool. Some people have alternating constipation with incontinence.

Rectal ulcers. Friction and exposure of the mucous lining of your rectum may cause rectal ulcers and painful sores which can bleed. Uncontrolled bleeding could lead to anemia.

Incarceration. An “incarcerated” rectum gets stuck hanging out of your anus and can’t be pushed back in. The danger of this is that it could become cut off from blood supply (“strangulation”). This could lead to tissue death and decay of the rectum (gangrene).

Type of Doctor Department : Colorectal Surgeons , Gastroenterologists, and Urogynecologists

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