Fecal Incontinence Treatment Near Green Bay, WI
If you’re dealing with accidental bowel leakage, care is right here in Green Bay. Dr. Ryan Stewart is a board-certified, fellowship-trained urogynecologist who diagnoses and treats fecal incontinence and other pelvic floor conditions.
Understanding fecal incontinence
Fecal incontinence, also called accidental bowel leakage, is the involuntary loss of stool or gas. You might leak stool before reaching the bathroom, or notice soiling without any warning at all.
It’s more common than most people realize. About 9% of adult women have it at least once a month, and the number rises with age. Yet many women never bring it up, so it stays one of the most underreported conditions. Fewer than 3 in 10 women with these symptoms ever seek care.
Many things can lead to it, and most women have more than one cause at work:
- Childbirth injury to the anal sphincter muscles or nerves during vaginal delivery
- Nerve damage from diabetes, spinal conditions, or earlier surgery
- Loss of muscle strength in the anal sphincter as you age
- Loose stools from conditions like IBS, inflammatory bowel disease, or chronic diarrhea
I know this is one of the hardest things to talk about. I want you to know that I treat accidental bowel leakage regularly, and there is good treatment for it.
Learn more about fecal incontinence
Why see a urogynecologist?
A urogynecologist has training built specifically around pelvic floor problems like this one. Depending on their path, a urogynecologist completes a 3-year fellowship after OB/GYN residency or a 2-year fellowship after urology residency. All of that training focuses on the pelvic floor.
Fecal incontinence often shows up alongside other pelvic floor conditions, like urine leakage or prolapse. Seeing a urogynecologist means one person can look at the whole picture and treat it together.
My approach
I care most about teaching and making decisions together. There is rarely one right answer. We talk through your options, what matters to you, and what you want to try first. The plan is yours, and I help you build it.
Your local urogynecologist
Green Bay is my home practice, so you can get full pelvic care close to home:
- No travel required, since the office is right here in Green Bay
- A full range of services, from office visits to surgery
- In-person and telehealth scheduling
Treatment options
Most women improve, and many get good control back. Here are the main options:
- Diet and fiber. We work on stool consistency first, since loose stool is the hardest to hold. Adding fiber and spotting trigger foods often helps a lot.
- Bowel retraining. Simple habits, like timing trips to the bathroom, can give you more control.
- Pelvic floor physical therapy. This is more than Kegels. A therapist works on strength, relaxation, coordination, endurance, and breathing, often using biofeedback so you can see your muscles working. We have pelvic floor physical therapists in the office.
- Medications. Anti-diarrheal medicine like loperamide can firm up stool and cut down on leaks.
- Sacral neuromodulation, sometimes called a bowel pacemaker. A small device gently stimulates the nerves that control your bowel. We test it first to make sure it helps you before placing the long-term device, and the battery lasts about 10 to 15 years. It works well even when the sphincter muscle is damaged.
Surgery to repair the anal sphincter is rarely the answer. It can help in select cases, usually a recent childbirth injury, but the benefit often fades over time. For most women, the bowel pacemaker works better and is far less invasive. I do not offer injectable bulking agents for this condition.
There is no fixed order you have to follow. The right plan depends on your situation, how much it bothers you, and what you want to try. We decide together.
References
- Brown HW, Dyer KY, Rogers RG. Management of fecal incontinence. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2020. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000004054
- Meyer I, Richter HE. Accidental bowel leakage/fecal incontinence: evidence-based management. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. 2021. doi:10.1016/j.ogc.2021.05.003
- Jelovsek JE, Markland AD, Whitehead WE, et al. Controlling anal incontinence in women by performing anal exercises with biofeedback or loperamide: a randomized clinical trial (CAPABLe). Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2019. doi:10.1016/S2468-1253(19)30193-1
- Wallace SL, Miller LD, Mishra K. Pelvic floor physical therapy in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction in women. Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2019. doi:10.1097/GCO.0000000000000584
- Goldman HB, Lloyd JC, Noblett KL, et al. International Continence Society best practice statement for use of sacral neuromodulation. Neurourology and Urodynamics. 2018. doi:10.1002/nau.23596
- Sultan AH, Monga A, Lee J, et al. An IUGA/ICS joint report on the terminology for female anorectal dysfunction. International Urogynecology Journal. 2017. doi:10.1007/s00192-016-3140-3
Schedule Your Appointment
Telehealth consultations available — start your care from home in Green Bay.
- No referral necessary
- Now accepting new patients
- Most Wisconsin insurance plans accepted, including Anthem, Dean, Quartz, Network Health, and UnitedHealthcare.
- In-person and virtual appointments available