Anorectal Manometry

Has anyone else had one of these done? I had one done last week. It involved a nurse inserting a balloon into my anus for a good half an hour. I'd be willing to share more if anyone is interested.

Please fill us in on what this test is done for; never heard of it. Any prep needed prior to the test; I would assume at least a Fleets?

I had to give myself 2 enemas beforehand. When I arrived the nurse gave me a rectal exam to ensure nothing else was left up there. Then she did the test which involved inserting a balloon attached to a catheter up my anus. It was inflated and deflated numerous times to test the strength of my rectum. This lasted about half and hour and it had to be inserted several times. At the end she took me to the restroom across the hall, while wearing nothing but a t shirt and gown. Then I basically had to poop the balloon out into a bedpan while she observed.

See this:

http://www.motilitysociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Anorectal-Manometry-Patient-Information-8-5-2005.pdf

and this:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/anorectal-manometry

The most uncomfortable part was having the balloon swelled up until I could no longer handle it.

Chiefmojorisin,

The most uncomfortable part was having the balloon swelled up until I could no longer handle it.

What part of the exam was that? Was the balloon blown up completely inside your rectum, or right at your sphincter(s) so it was forcing your sphincter open? What condition was your test for? Thanks,

Eric

The documentation says this is done to test the strength of the anal sphincter. Were you having symptoms in that area?

Biofeedback therapy

ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxcoLHHq2PA

Sounds like another good reason to go see a medical professional for no other reason than to get a balloon up your butt!

Just kidding....

My husband had that procedure last week. Prior to having the procedure I helped him with two Fleet Enemas at home. He wore only a gown and his socks during this procedure. I was with him. He laid on his side on a bed for the pushing and flexing of his anal muscles part. I was watching the graph as this was being done. There was a small probe with wires inserted into his rectum for this. The balloon test was next! It was inflated and deflated with air with probes also. My husband was asked to let her know when he could feel it being inflated and deflated. The final part with the air was to see how much it took to make him feel very uncomfortable. The last part was the water balloon test. It was inserted into his rectum and filled with a syringe full of water. The nurse said it would be about the size of a normal persons poop after the water was put in. Yes, she said poop! There was a toilet right next to the bed and we helped him sit down. Next she said this part of the procedure would take three minutes or less. My husband had to push like he was moving his bowels. I do believe the probe with the wires was in his rectum for this also to chart the pushing pressure? The nurse said in most cases it takes a few seconds. Three minutes was a life time and he could not push that balloon out. That was not good news at all for us. We helped him to his side again and the nurse removed the water and then the balloon and the probes. She told us the results would take a couple weeks. She was kind and told us she was sorry about my husbands problems. He got dressed and away we went. I could see he was a bit set back.

A man and a lady were walking their dog down the street. It was a beautiful day! He said, "Look Gwen, here comes a Yorkie" The site of the cute Yorkshire Terrier made his day. The pup stopped for some loving from my husband and a chat with the people.

He's fighting this Autonomic Dysfunction problem and this test was necessary to find how much nerve damage has been done.

I recently had a whole battery of anorectal function tests.

No prep was needed. I lay on my left hand side with my knees drawn up, wearing a gown and still my top half clothing.

The doctor first did a DRE, and asked me to 'squeeze' and 'push' her finger, which I'd then repeat on the manometry catheter.

Then she inserted the manometry catheter, and taped it in place. She taped two very small electrodes to either side of my hole, which took quite a while to get right with her spending quite a bit of time repositioning them, all while I had the tube coming out of me. Then on command I had to squeeze, push or cough, and the graph showed the pressure along the length of the catheter, against time.

Then a balloon on the end of the manometry catheter was slowly inflated and I had to say when I could feel it. The balloon then got deflated and the catheter and anal electrodes removed.

A different wire was inserted that gave out small electric shocks, and I had to say where I could feel them.

Then I had an ultrasound, the probe was covered with a condom and only inserted in and out a short distance.

Then I had another catheter inserted, which inflated on both sides of my hole, and I had some more coughing and squeezing.

Then a different catheter with a scratchy balloon inserted, and the doctor also put in her finger to manipulate it into the right place. The balloon then got inflated until it felt really big and uncomfortable - astonishingly like I really, really needed to pass a BM - but that feeling instantly vanished the second it got deflated.

Finally I had a small catheter with a balloon attached inserted, the balloon inflated, and then had to walk through to the bathroom and expell it, while the doctor timed.

So so many different tubes up my ass hah... Only my backside was ever exposed

I guess that its a good thing to see if your asshole is working properly every once in a while

I'd never heard of this procedure until recently. Supposedly it's not uncomfortable at all to have it done. A search in YouTube starts with an explicit real life demonstration by a female physicians assistant on a male patient. It's actually an ingenious way to properly diagnose rectal motility, where doctors in the old days routinely misdiagnosed or "half-assed" diagnosed (with DRE) a serious medical problem in afflicted individuals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_arAAlTlmI&t=42s

I had this done for severe constipation, and it identified the cause of the constipation, which led to getting an appropriate and effective treatment (Botox injections of the puborectalis muscle and the external anal sphincter), so it was well worth it. It wasn't painful and didn't take very long. It was definitely easier and less painful than the MRI defecography I had done for this same issue.