What Researchers Did
Researchers investigated the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on 13 patients with chronic fecal incontinence secondary to pudendal neuropathy over a 6-week period.
What They Found
Pudendal latencies significantly improved, with the left side reducing from 2.36 msec to 2.08 msec and the right side from 2.23 msec to 2.07 msec at 6-month follow-up. Fecal incontinence scores also improved, decreasing from an initial 12.08 to 10.45 at 6-month follow-up.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This study suggests hyperbaric oxygen therapy could be a potential treatment option for Canadian patients suffering from fecal incontinence due to pudendal neuropathy. It may offer an alternative for those who do not respond to conventional treatments like biofeedback.
Canadian Relevance
This study was not conducted in Canada and does not have a direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A significant limitation of this study is its very small sample size of only 13 patients.