Recent innovations in the management of fecal incontinence.

The importance of having a reproducible scoring system to objectively assess the severity of fecal incontinence and its response to treatment is stressed, and a number of methods are described. The approach to conservative treatment and investigation is outlined. Recent advances in the surgical management of fecal incontinence including the electrically stimulated gracilis neosphincter, sacral nerve stimulation, the artificial anal sphincter, internal anal sphincter augmentation, rectal augmentation, and antegrade colonic irrigation are described in detail.