Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41168141›Full record

SynthesisColorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland2025

Transanal irrigation: Bridging the gap in treatment for chronic constipation and/or faecal incontinence-A systematic review and management guidance.

Paul F Vollebregt, Coen I M Baeten, Asbjørn M Drewes, Franco Marinello, Jacopo Martelluci, Mira Mekhael, Karen Nugent, Andreas D Rink, Harald Rosen, S Mark Scott and 4 more

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Colorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Transanal irrigation: Bridging the gap in treatment for chronic constipation and/or faecal incontinence-A systematic review and management guidance.Colorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland · 2025
    Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Paul F VollebregtDepartment of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Gastroenterology Endocrinology Metabolism, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3158-6652
Coen I M BaetenDepartment of Surgery, Groene Hart Hospital, Gouda, the Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0905-8375
Asbjørn M DrewesMech-Sense, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7465-964X
Franco MarinelloColorectal Surgery Unit - Hospital Universitari Vall Hebrón - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0185-4545
Jacopo MartelluciEmergency Sugery/Pelvic Floor Center, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7437-9098
Mira MekhaelDepartment of Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0792-448X
Karen NugentDepartment of Surgery, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0408-2950
Andreas D RinkDepartment of General, Visceral, Vascular and Transplant Surgery, Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4246-8720
Harald RosenSigmund Freud University, Centre of Surgery, Vienna, Austria.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4211-6728
S Mark ScottBlizard Institute, Queen Mary University London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7997-1533
Peter Ernst SlattenschekSigmund Freud University, Centre of Surgery, Vienna, Austria.
Frank ZerbibDepartment of Gastroenterology, CHU de Bordeaux, Centre Médico-Chirurgical Magellan, Hôpital Haut-Lévêque, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6802-2121
Peter ChristensenDepartment of Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6611-3935
ADVISABLE Working Group

Funding

Coloplast
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimThe aims of the study were to: (1) update a systematic review on the efficacy of transanal irrigation (TAI) in patients with chronic constipation (CC) and/or faecal incontinence (FI); (2) provide guidance on the position of TAI in the treatment pathway of CC and FI; and (3) discuss knowledge gaps and areas of future research.

methodA collaborative of 11 experts (gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, and clinical scientists) from eight European countries was established. The expert group was divided into three main groups, with each group leading a specific section (systematic review, treatment pathway, and knowledge gaps). A previously published systematic review on TAI was updated by conducting an additional search on 12 April 2025. Studies on TAI in specific subgroups (neurogenic bowel dysfunction, low anterior resection syndrome) were excluded.

resultsSixteen studies involving 1567 (range 16-507) patients were included. Only one underpowered randomised trial was performed, which demonstrated that high-volume TAI may be more effective than low-volume TAI in patients with CC. Most other studies (observational) showed improvement in symptoms and/or quality of life to some extent, with a large variation in outcomes used. Treatment discontinuation was reported in 3-57% of patients. The position of TAI in the treatment pathway of CC and FI was proposed, and 13 knowledge gaps were provided.

conclusionTAI may be an effective treatment in patients with CC and/or FI. There is a need for randomised controlled trials to study its efficacy and current knowledge gaps.

Indexed as

ConstipationFecal IncontinenceTherapeutic IrrigationAnal CanalChronic DiseaseFemaleHumansMalePractice Guidelines as TopicQuality of LifeTreatment Outcomeconstipationfaecal incontinenceirrigationTAI

Identifiers

PMID41168141
PMCPMC12575420

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.