Clinical diagnosis and treatment of constipation lags behind relatively with unsatisfactory efficacy. Pathogeneses and molecular mechanisms for different types of constipation are waiting to be further clarified. New biomarkers and therapeutic targets for clinical diagnosis of constipation are so urgent. As for current problems in diagnosis and treatment of constipation, it is necessary to use the concept of translational medicine to break existing imprisonment of thinking, and find out new thinking ways of research methods, diagnosis and treatment approaches, thereby improving diagnosis and treatment levels.
Constipation ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Translational Medical Research

OBJECTIVETo assess the efficacy of sacral neuromodulation (SNM) in patients with intractable constipation.

METHODSA total of 7 patients with intractable constipation were treated with pereutaneous test stimulation of the S3 nerve root and were assessed by sacral never stimulation system in our department from January 2013 to January 2014. Four of these 7 patients received operation for constipation before. The efficacy was assessed by bowel habit diary, clinic constipation scores, subjective questionnaire and clinical signs.

RESULTSThe constipation symptoms were improved significantly in all the 7 patients. The frequency and volume of defecation per week were increased obviously, and the average urine was increased. Six patients underwent permanent implantation of the SNS system. After a median 4 months follow-up, the defecation frequency increased from 0.6 ± 0.5 to 8.0 ± 2.5 per week (P<0.01), and the defecation time decreased from (22.9 ± 11.5) to (3.7 ± 0.8) min (P<0.01). The Cleveland clinic constipation score decreased from 24.6 ± 4.2 to 9.0 ± 0.9 (P<0.01), and the visual analogue scale(VAS) score increased from 8.1 ± 0.9 to 82.5 ± 5.2 (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSNM is a clinically efficacious, minimally invasive and safe new technique, which offers an alternative treatment for the patients with intractable constipation resistant to conservative treatment, especially for the patients refractory to traditional operations.

Chronic Disease ; therapy ; Constipation ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Gastrointestinal Transit ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Functional constipation (FC) is one of the most prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorders. Dissatisfaction with medications prescribed to treat FC may lead patients to seek alternative treatments. Numerous systematic reviews (SRs) examining the use of acupuncture to treat FC have reported inconsistent results, and the quality of these studies has not been fully evaluated. OBJECTIVE: In this overview, we evaluated and summarized clinical evidence on the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for treating FC and evaluated the quality and bias of the SRs we reviewed. SEARCH STRATEGY: The search strategy was structured by medical subject headings and search terms such as "acupuncture therapy" and "functional constipation." Electronic searches were conducted in eight databases from their inception to September 2020. INCLUSION CRITERIA: SRs that investigated the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for managing FC were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently extracted information and appraised the methodology, reporting accuracy, quality of evidence, and risk of bias using the following critical appraisal tools: (1) A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2); (2) Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews (ROBIS); (3) Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses for Acupuncture (PRISMA-A); and (4) the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE). A κ index was used to score the level of agreement between the 2 reviewers. RESULTS: Thirteen SRs that examined the clinical utility of acupuncture for treating FC were identified. Using the AMSTAR 2 tool, we rated 92.3% (12/13) of the SRs as "critically low" confidence and one study as "low" confidence. Using the ROBIS criteria, 38.5% (5/13) of the SRs were considered to have "low risk" of bias. Based on PRISMA-A, 76.9% (10/13) of the SRs had over 70% compliance with reporting standards. The inter-rater agreement was good for AMSTAR 2, ROBIS, and PRISMA-A. Using the GRADE tool, we classified 22.5% (9/40) of the measured outcomes as "moderate" quality, 57.5% (23/40) as "low" quality, and 20.0% (8/40) as "very low" quality. The inter-rater agreement was moderate when using GRADE. Descriptive analyses indicated that acupuncture was more efficacious than sham acupuncture for improving weekly complete spontaneous bowel movements (CSBMs) and for raising the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS) score. Acupuncture appeared to be superior to anti-constipation drugs for improving weekly spontaneous bowel movements, the total effective rate, and the Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life score. Although ten SRs mentioned the occurrence of adverse events, serious adverse events were not associated with acupuncture treatment. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture may be more efficacious than sham acupuncture for improving CSBMs and BSFS scores and may be superior to anti-constipation drugs for improving bowel movement frequency, as well as quality of life. Limitations to current studies and inconsistent evidence suggest a need for more rigorous and methodologically sound SRs to draw definitive conclusions. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO CRD42020189173.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Constipation/therapy* ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Systematic Reviews as Topic

No abstract available.
Biofeedback, Psychology ; Constipation ; Electric Stimulation ; Electric Stimulation Therapy ; Humans

Chinese Society of Colorectal Surgery firstly issued guidelines on the chronic constipation in 2008, which played a positive role in the standardization of chronic constipation surgery in China. In recent years, some progress has been made in the basic and clinical researches on chronic constipation. But in terms of clinical practice, there is still a lack of gold standard and high-level clinical research evidence, and surgeons have no authoritative reference in preoperative evaluation, operation selection and efficacy evaluation. In order to further standardize the diagnostic assessment and surgical treatment of chronic constipation, it is necessary to update the guidelines. Based on the published literatures combined with the clinical experience of experts, the "Clinical practice guideline on the evaluation and management of chronic constipation for Chinese adults (2022 edition)" has been formulated, which aims at the common problems in constipation assessment and treatment, is problem-oriented, and puts forward rationalization suggestions on the basis of evidence. It is expected to contribute to the learning and practice on constipation for Chinese surgeons and other relevant medical practitioners, and improve the overall diagnosis and treatment level of constipation surgery in China.
Adult ; Asians ; China ; Constipation/therapy* ; Humans ; Reference Standards

Objective: To investigate the mid-term efficacy of sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) for chronic constipation. Methods: A descriptive case series study was conducted. Patients with chronic constipation were treated in Xijing Hospital of Digestive Disease from February 2013 to December 2018 were retrospectively enrolled. The types of constipation were confirmed based on colon slow transit test, anorectal manometry and defecography in Xi'an Mayinglong Coloproctological Hospital. This study has been registered in China clinical trial registry (Registration No.: ChiCTR-ROC-16008945). Case inclusion criteria: (1) constipation was diagnosed according to Rome III criteria; (2) traditional treatment, including education, diet adjustment, laxative, biofeedback treatment, failed for at least 1 year; (3) there were no constipation-related organic diseases. After excluding neurogenic diseases, including spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis, 21 patients were included in this study. There were 10 males and 11 females, with an average age of 50.9 (14-76) years. After the relevant examination and evaluation of patients, they underwent percutaneous nerve evaluation (PNE). If patient experienced a good response to PNE after 2 or 3 weeks (≥50%), permanent SNS implantation was performed. The improvement of clinical symptoms and quality of life between the baseline, PNE, and latest follow-up time points were compared. Improvement of clinical symptoms, including autonomic stool frequency per week, autonomic stool days per week, defecation time, visual analogue scale (VAS, lower score indicates more serious symptoms) score and Cleveland clinic constipation score (CCCS, higher score indacates more serious symptoms) criteria. The change of quality of life was scored by SF-36 questionnaires (the higher score indicates better quality of life). Results: Of 21 patients, 18 (85.7%) experienced significant improvement in symptoms with PNE, and 2 patients discontinued treatment due to their dissatisfaction. Sixteen patients (76.2%) received permanent SNS implantation, two of whom underwent bilateral PNE implantation. These patients were followed-up for mean 56 (34-72) months. The treatment was continuously effective in 13 patients (61.9%), including 3 of ODS, 1 of STC and 9 of mixed constipation. Compared with baseline, the score of constipation patients receiving permanent SNS implantation at latest follow-up was shown. The median autonomic stool frequency per week increased from 1.0 (0-7) to 7.5 (0-10) (P<0.001), the median autonomic stool days per week increased from 1.0 (0-7) d to 4.5 (0-7) d (P<0.001), the median defecation time decreased from 19.0 (8-40) minutes to 4.0 (3-31) minutes (P<0.001), the median CCCS decreased from 20.0 (13-30) to 9.0 (6-30) (P<0.001), and the median VAS score increased from 9.0 (7-40) to 80.0 (15-90) (P<0.001). The values of the 8 parts of the SF-36 questionnaire increased (all P<0.05). Conclusion: SNS implantation is safe and has obvious effects on severe constipation with stable mid-term efficacy.
China ; Constipation/therapy* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: To compare the effectiveness of the magnesium (Mg)-enriched formula vs. control formula in constipated infants. METHODS: An open-label, interventional, and the comparator-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Mg-enriched formula in formula-fed infants ≤6 months old presenting with functional constipation according to modified Rome IV criteria. Infants were randomized 1:1 to intervention or control formula for 30 days. Parents recorded stool consistency (hard, normal, or watery) and frequency on days 1–7 and 23–29. Physicians recorded patient baseline characteristics and performed the clinical examination at the time of three patient visits (baseline, day 8, and 30). RESULTS: Of the 286 recruited infants, 143 received the Mg-rich formula and 142 received the control formula. After 7 days, significantly more infants had stools with normal consistency with the Mg-rich formula compared to the infants fed with the control formula (81.8% vs. 41.1%; p<0.001). The number of infants passing one or more stools per day was increased at day 7 in the Mg-rich formula group (86.7% vs. 68.2%; p<0.001). At days 7 and 29, >25% of infants responded completely to the Mg-rich formula compared to <5% of infants fed with the control formula (p<0.001). Parents of infants in the Mg-rich formula group were very satisfied with the treatment (80.8% vs. 10.2%), with the majority willing to continue treatment after 30 days (97.9% vs. 52.6%; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The Mg-rich formula significantly improved stool consistency and frequency compared to the control formula in constipated infants.
Constipation ; Defecation ; Humans ; Infant Formula ; Infant ; Magnesium ; Nutrition Therapy ; Parents

China ; Constipation/therapy* ; Humans ; Massage ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Constipation/therapy* ; Probiotics/therapeutic use* ; Patients