This trial is evaluating whether Low level laser therapy (LLLT) will improve 1 primary outcome and 5 secondary outcomes in patients with Fecal Soiling. Measurement will happen over the course of 12 weeks.
This trial requires 20 total participants across 2 different treatment groups
This trial involves 2 different treatments. Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is the primary treatment being studied. Participants will all receive the same treatment. There is no placebo group. The treatments being tested are not being studied for commercial purposes.
Data from a recent study demonstrates that fecal soiling may be related to an increase in stress hormone levels and a decrease in the level of neurotrophic factors.
Complete excision is a successful treatment of soiling induced by colonic motility disorders and may result in a significant improvement in quality of life but does not seem to be associated with complete recovery from soiling-induced bowel symptoms. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm the long term efficacy of fecal soiling surgery in eradicating fecal incontinence.
Most common treatments for fecal soiling have a limited role in helping control the frequency of fecal soiling. However, some patients may benefit if they have not controlled soiling by a single treatment.
Fecal soiling (faecal incontinence) has a variety of signs, including decreased desire to defecate, flatus accumulation, straining for defecation, loose stools and difficulty emptying the bowel.
The National Health Interview Survey 2011-2012 indicated about 17.8 million Americans had fecal soiling on at least one day in 2012. The frequency of soiling depends on which day in the year the respondent was asked about fecal soiling and what method of fecal disposal was used. In a recent study, findings highlight the need for improved reporting of fecal incontinence and greater efforts to make public health communications more relevant to the entire population.
Fecal soiling is the hallmark symptom of colonic motility disorders. In these patients, it is common for symptoms to mislead physicians into believing they have a bowel obstruction. A proper clinical history should be documented in all patients having an evaluation for a bowel motility disorder.
The data are discussed in terms of clinical interventions using low level laser therapy (LLLT). Recent findings point to the need to control for LLLT in the interpretation, rather than as a treatment in itself. LLLT deserves further investigation in patients suffering from fecal incontinence.
There is less than an estimated 2.7% incidence of fecal soiling at the age of 1 year in young infants (<6months); and only 0.9% at 2 years. Therefore, fecal soiling is not an issue that requires special consideration in infant care.
Findings from a recent study demonstrate that soiling is not, in fact, genetically predetermined. An environmental factor has to play an important role in this disease.
The most likely explanation for the effect of low level laser on the defecation threshold for healthy adults is a reduction in norepinephrine. Nevertheless, the observed increase in stool hardness and fecal consistency are additional indications that the clinical effect on defecation is not mediated by the autonomic nervous system.
LLLT was well tolerated in people with colo-rectal cancer. No side effects were experienced despite the laser intensity>75 W/cm(2), which was far higher than the permissible exposure according to the National Council Against Health Hazardous Equipment guidelines.
Use of 1.8 mm and 2.5 mm wavelengths (for this retrospective review, we chose one device of each wavelength type) was not found to be more effective than placebo therapy in this population by any of the measures examined. Higher-quality studies are planned, but such trials may be difficult to design in this setting.