Rectal Prolapse Overview

Rectal prolapse occurs when part of the rectum slips down and protrudes from the anus. The rectum is the last part of the large intestine and is where the body stores feces before voiding.

When the rectum becomes unattached inside the body and comes out through the anus, effectively turning itself inside out this is known as rectal prolapse. This condition is typically due to a weakening of the muscles that support the rectum.

Rectal prolapse is a relatively rare condition, with the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons estimating that it affects fewer than 3 in every 100,000 people.

Although the condition can affect anyone, it is more common in older females. Other risk factors include chronic constipation, straining, and childbirth. Rectal prolapse can cause difficulty controlling bowel movements, and it can lead to incontinence. Early treatment may involve fluids, an increased fiber intake, and pelvic floor exercises, but most people will eventually require surgery.

Rectal Prolapse Vs Hemmorhoids

People may confuse rectal prolapse with hemorrhoids, which are also known as piles. Both conditions affect the last section of the bowel and have similar symptoms.

However, while rectal prolapse affects the rectal wall, hemorrhoids affect the blood vessels in the anal canal. These two conditions require different treatment, so it is important to get the correct diagnosis.

Types of Rectal Prolapse

There are three types of rectal prolapse:

• External: Also known as full-thickness or complete prolapse, the entire thickness of the wall of the rectum sticks out through the anus.
• Mucosal: Only the lining of the anus, known as the mucosa, sticks out through the anus.
• Internal: Also known as an incomplete prolapse, the rectum folds in on itself but does not stick out through the anus.

Signs and Symptoms of Rectal Prolapse

At first, the person might only notice a lump or swelling coming out of their anus when they have a bowel movement. Initially, the person may be able to push the rectal prolapse back in, or it might naturally return inside the anus. Over time, however, the prolapse is likely to protrude permanently, and a person will be unable to push it back.

As time goes on, a rectal prolapse may happen when a patient cough, sneezing, stands up, or exercises. Some patents with a rectal prolapse may describe the sensation as being similar to sitting on a ball.

Some people may experience an internal rectal prolapse, which is different in that the prolapse will not protrude. However, the individual may experience the feeling of an incomplete bowel movement or pressure in the rectum.

Other symptoms of a rectal prolapse can include the following:

• Bright red blood coming out of the rectum
• Constipation, which affects about 25–50% of people who have a rectal prolapse
• Difficulty controlling bowel movements, which occurs in about 50–75% of cases
• Mucous discharge
• Rectal pressure and discomfort

Complications of Rectal Prolapse

Complications of rectal prolapse may include the following:

• Strangulated prolapse: This occurs when part of the rectum becomes trapped and cuts off the blood supply, causing tissue to die. The individual may develop gangrene, causing this section of the rectum to die and decay. This is often painful and requires surgery.
• Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome: Present in mucosal prolapse, ulcers can develop on the part of the rectum sticking out. This complication often requires surgery.
• Recurring prolapse: People who have surgery for a rectal prolapse may have another prolapse in the future. Evidence suggests that this occurs in up to 30% of cases. As a result, doctors may advise a person to make lifestyle adjustments after surgery, such as adopting a high fiber diet and taking a proactive approach to hydration.

Causes of Rectal Prolapse

Rectal prolapse has multiple associated risk factors and causes, although doctors do not fully understand why some people get it.

It often involves a weakening of the muscles that support the rectum and has various possible triggers, including the following:

• Constipation or chronic straining
• Diarrhea which affects about 15% of people
• Conditions that affect the pelvis or lower gastrointestinal tract
• Pregnancy

Some neurological conditions also affect the nerves associated with rectal prolapse:

• Injury to the lower back or pelvis
• Lumbar disk disease
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Spinal tumors

Rectal prolapse is more common in adults than children, and it is particularly prevalent in females aged 50 years or older, who are six times as likely to be affected as males. Most females who have rectal prolapse are in their 60s, while most males are aged 40 years or younger.

In the case of older females, rectal prolapse will often occur at the same time as a prolapsed bladder or gynecologic organ. This combined prolapse may occur due to general weakness in the pelvic floor muscles.

Diagnosis of Prolapse

To diagnose a rectal prolapse, the doctor will look at the person’s medical history, ask them about their symptoms, and conduct a physical examination.

The physical examination may involve the doctor inserting a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum or observing a person’s anus while they are squatting as though they are on a toilet or commode. Although some people may find this uncomfortable and possibly embarrassing, it should not be painful and is very important for an accurate diagnosis.

Further tests may be necessary to clarify the diagnosis or rule out other processes. These tests can include the following:

• Defecography: Also known as a proctography, this is a type of X-ray that shows the rectum and anal canal during a bowel movement.
• Colonoscopy: During this procedure, the doctor inserts a long, flexible, tube-like camera called a colonoscope to take a closer look at the large intestine and rectum.
• Anorectal manometry: This involves placing a pressure-measuring tube inside the rectum to check how well the muscles that control bowel movements are working.
• Endoanal ultrasound: Using a thin ultrasound probe, the doctor will look at the muscles that the body uses to control the bowels

Treatment of Prolapse

In the first instance, it is important to relieve the symptoms and allow easier bowel movements. Doctors may recommend a high fiber diet, stool softeners, and bowel training, as well as drinking plenty of water.

If that does not work, then a doctor will suggest a surgical option. The type of surgery will depend on several factors:

• Comorbidities the patient has
• The patients age
• Type of prolapse
• Whether the person has constipation

Summary

Most rectal prolapse make a full recovery after treatment for rectal prolapse. However, proper recovery is crucial, and how long this takes will depend on the type of treatment. Most patients typically who have had surgery spend a few days in the hospital after the surgery,

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Samples available include cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma, cancer, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors available in all formats and types.

Our biobank procures and stores fully consented, deidentified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples and matched controls.

All our human tissue collections, human specimens and human bio-fluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

This critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Patient’s data is extremely valuable for researchers and is used to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, and other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and biological samples, including cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

Including fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as serum, plasma and PBMC.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Types of Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

• Peripheral whole-blood
• Amniotic fluid
• Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL)
• Sputum
• Pleural effusion
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
• Serum (sera)
• Plasma
• Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)
• Saliva
• Buffy coat
• Urine
• Stool samples
• Aqueous humor
• Vitreous humor
• Kidney stones (renal calculi)
• Other bodily fluids from most diseases including cancer.

We can also procure most human bio-specimens, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human plasma, serum, and PBMC bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Bay Biosciences also provides human samples from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, contact us Now.

• 日本のお客様は、ベイバイオサイエンスジャパンBay Biosciences Japanまたはhttp://baybiosciences-jp.com/contact/までご連絡ください。