Rectal Prolapse Treatment

Rectum is a term that is used to describe the lower section of the colon (large intestine). This last part of the colon is around 6 inches long and extends up to the anus. Rectum is the area, where the solid waste finally gets accumulated for elimination. Now the rectum is supported and held firmly in its proper position with the help of ligaments. However, with age or an injury, the ligaments may lose their ability to hold the rectum securely. As a result, the rectum gets displaced from its normal position and is seen bulging out of the anus. This condition that causes protrusion of the rectum (misplaced rectum) is referred as rectal prolapse.

Types of Rectal Prolapse
Rectal prolapse is categorized into 3 types, depending upon how much rectum has protruded out of the anus. Following are the sub types given below:

Complete Rectal Prolapse: This is the most severe form of rectal prolapse in which the entire rectal wall is seen protruding through the anal activity.

Mucosal or Partial Rectal Prolapse: Here only the rectal mucosa (mucus-secreting membrane lining of the rectum) freely hangs from the anus.

Internal Prolapse: This is the early stage of rectum prolapse, in which only the tissue of rectum is lightly displaced, but does not come out of the anus.

Symptoms
The abnormal position of the rectum can cause painful bowel movement. In other words, bowel evacuation becomes a difficult task. As the rectum is no longer in a position to hold fecal matter, it causes urgency to defecate. As the condition worsens, it may interfere with day-to-day activities and cause pain while walking or sitting.

Causes
Constipation, which is nothing but formation of hard stools is the main cause behind displaced rectum. Pushing hardened stool through the intestine, puts undue strain on the rectum. This excessive force on the rectum during bowel evacuation can detach a portion of the rectum from the pelvis. This in turn results in rectal prolapse, which can be a cause of great discomfort. Undue pressure on the rectum at the time of delivery can also lead to rectal prolapse in women.

Treatment

Stool Softeners
For partial prolapse of rectum, use of natural stool softeners is a good option. Stool softeners can reduce constipation and promote smooth bowel movement. A softened stool does not put any pressure on the rectum during bowel movement, thus not allowing to aggravate the problem. To get rid of constipation is crucial to eliminate rectal prolapse. This form of treatment is successful, only if the condition is detected in its early stages of development.

Diet
When rectal prolapse is in its primary stage, diet modifications is crucial to prevent it from advancing to later stages. A diet plan that keeps the patient away from constipation, needs to be adopted. In order to prevent recurrence of constipation, choosing foods high in fiber is important. Including plenty of fruits and vegetables in the diet, will promote normal bowel movement and ease the discomfort associated with rectal prolapse. Drinking plenty of water (8 glasses per day) is also very important to soften the stools and allow them to pass easily through the colon and the rectum.

Enema
Use of enemas or suppositories may also be beneficial to reduce the symptoms of a rectal prolapse. Basically, enema tries to stimulate bowel movement to remove fecal matter at the earliest.

Surgery
It is often observed that patients experience temporary relief with stool softeners but with time, the condition progresses to complete prolapse. Surgical procedure involves either removing the protruding rectum through an incision or reattaching it to a bony structure, known as sacrum (tailbone).

In some patients, especially in children, the doctor tries to manually push the prolapsed rectum back to its original position. Use of anti-inflammatory medicines and ointments is an integral part of rectal prolapse treatment, to reduce the swelling and pain associated with bowel movement.