title: Artificial bowel sphincter implantation for faecal incontinence in Asian patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the outcomes with the American Medical Systems artificial bowel sphincter (ABS) implantation for the treatment of intractable faecal incontinence in an Asian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six Asian patients who underwent ABS implantation between March 2004 and December 2007 for the treatment of faecal incontinence were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ABS was successfully implanted in six patients [mean age 50 (20-73) years; 4 males]. The most common causes of incontinence were congenital anomaly of the anus (imperforate anus status post a pull-through procedure) and status-post ultralow anterior resection. Two patients required device explantation due to postoperative infection. One eventually required a colostomy. After a mean follow-up of 22 (4-36) months, four patients continued to have a functional artificial bowel sphincter. Faecal incontinence severity scores improved from a mean of 13 (12-14) to 6 (0-9) postactivation. Anal manometry showed an increase in mean resting pressures (19.2 +/- 7.5 mmHg vs. postimplantation with cuff inflated 45.0 +/- 12.0 mmHg). The comparative preoperative and postactivation faecal incontinence quality of life scores showed improvement in all aspects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with successful ABS implantation benefited from improved outcomes in function and quality of life. Infection was the most common cause of failure in our patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, National University Hospital Singapore, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore.
authors.forename: Kaweesak
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chittawatanarat
authors.forename: Dean C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Aileen A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Seah
authors.forename: Wai-Kit
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.forename: Charles B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Tsang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001003:Anal Canal; D001187:Artificial Organs; D044466:Asian People; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012846:Singapore; D055815:Young Adult